Where do I belong?
by Meridyn
Summary: Adopted by the Daemons at age 4, Gohan must cope with the differences between himself and others. A tail, flying, ki blasts... But when the truth is revealed 13 yrs later can he join forces with the Z-senshi to save Earth? Or will his past drive him away?
1. Chapter 1: Lost

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, it characters, or anything in it; nor do I own any other licensed product/item that may appear throughout this fan fiction piece.  
  
AN: Greetings Minna-san! This is my newest fic and the first featuring my favorite character Gohan. I know the summary was sketchy so I have one just below here. I hope you enjoy this fic and please, lemme know what you think!  
  
~*~  
  
Summary: Did you ever think about what might happen if Gohan had launched himself when he was trapped in Radditz's space pod? But unlike other fics, what if that pod malfunctioned and exploded? Thus, the DBZ we all know would be changed. Now, the Z-senshi believes him to be dead, so they must move on and fight their battles without the young boy. The Saiyans, Frieza, Garlic Jr.'s reprise, the Androids, and Cell. All fought without the young demi-saiyan.  
  
But what if he didn't really die but did have amnesia? Instead he's raised by an Earthling family? Without knowing the truth of his origin, he and his family cope with his abnormalities. a tail, super strength, flying, ki blasts, amazing appetite, Super Saiyan and more.  
  
Follow along as Gohan discovers his own abilities and lives, haunted by an unknown past. And watch as he comes face to face with his past in a battle over Earth. a final showdown in the battle between Good and Evil.  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Clutching the metal dog tags tightly in his small fist, Gohan settled into the corner of a quiet space pod. How a reunion could turn out as badly as theirs had, no one knew. The day had started off just as the normal days went. Getting lost and his father rescuing him were normal. But on that particular day, his father and he would be visiting his father's friends. It would be his first time meeting them and his father's first time seeing them in a year, five years if you didn't count when Gohan had been kidnapped by Garlic Jr.  
  
Gohan had found them all to be nice, especially the blue haired woman, Bulma. It was her first time meeting the boy, but had brought him a small present. The dog tags he held were just that. It was a bit too big for him at the moment, but would serve him well in the future. Bulma had made them so that they hid his ki, a sort of a protective cover. After his kidnapping, Bulma had figured that if the evil could not locate his ki, then he would be protected. The dragonball was a bit of a different problem, but the tags could help in the future when his power level was distinguishably high.  
  
After Bulma had put it on him for the first time, Goku had tried to sense his young son, only to find that his power level was gone even though the boy stood directly in front of him. Other than hiding his ki, the dog tags easily identified him, seeing as one was inscribed with his name, "Gohan," and the other was blank. Bulma had figured that Gohan could decide what went on the other tag later.  
  
Now, hours later, Gohan was curled up on the lonely floor of his uncle's space pod. The tags may have been able to hide his power level, but they couldn't hide his tail or him. Thus resulting his being kidnapped by his father's brother. Trapped in the small pod, Gohan listened as his father and Piccolo arrived and fought. He heard the painful cries of his father as he and his uncle dueled. As Goku's screams of pain penetrated the thick ship, Gohan grew angry.  
  
Deciding he had to help, Gohan began to pound on the walls and control panels of the space pod. Just as he prepared to launch himself at the top of the pod, Gohan hit a large red button. Terror rose in Gohan's heart as he heard the engines kick in and the space pod slowly started to takeoff.  
  
Outside, Goku was slowly being crushed by his brother. The pressure on his ribs was excruciating. Suddenly, a loud noise echoed from the deep canon where Gohan and the space pod where. Radditz, Goku, and Piccolo watched as the pod rose into the air and jets started, sending the ship rocketing though the air. Radditz immediately released his little brother as he turned his attention to the escaping pod.  
  
As the pod rushed out of site, Goku could only stare in shock as his only son was sent high into the air and far into the distance. Almost as soon as it was out of sight, the pod exploded into flames and was sent careening farther out and finally into the Earth below. The upstart of flames was the last signal that the pod had ever existed. The shock waves of the explosion could barely be felt through the wind as it blew by the three fighters.  
  
Tears slowly escaped the Earth-raised Saiyan's eyes as he watched his only son die in a burst of flames. Anger quickly replaced his sorrow as he turned his eyes to his brother. With a war-like cry, Goku charged at Radditz, holding him tightly. "Piccolo, can you manage that attack again?" he asked his former enemy.  
  
Nodding at the man, Piccolo slowly charged up his spiraling ki blast. After a few minutes of charging, Piccolo unleashed the powerful blast at the two Saiyans and watched as it pierced Radditz's armor and continued until it went through both Saiyans.  
  
Although in death, Radditz gloated of his victory, only to be shocked as he heard the explanation of the dragonballs. Chuckling, Radditz revealed that the other Saiyans would come for the mystical orbs in a year before passing on into the Next Dimension.  
  
Piccolo watched as Bulma, Krillin, and Roshi arrived and mourned over Goku's death as his body disappeared. After informing the group about the Saiyans that would arrive as well as Gohan's death, Piccolo departed.  
  
The next day, Bulma, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Choutzu, Chi-Chi, the Ox King and a few others gathered together and held a memorial service for the youngest Son. They had all agreed that in an explosion, there would be no remains. Still, they had a small stone tombstone placed under a massive apple tree, where they had almost lost him two years before. The stone was simply inscribed with the boys name and dates, marking his birth and death. On top of the stone sat his small hat, toped with the four star dragonball. This hat had fallen off her son's head near the pod's crater.  
  
Only a few of the attendants had actually met the boy, however the rest attended out of respect for Goku and his family. They were sure that any son of Goku would have been worth knowing. Bulma, who had become quite attached to the shy child in the short time she knew him, softly sniffed as she reflected on what his life could have been.  
  
Krillin reflected on his time with Goku and briefly thought on the boy's power. He had been there in the battle against Garlic Jr. and watched as the child defeated him and destroyed the Dead Zone. 'Well, he was the son of Goku.' the monk mused. Tears clustered in his eyes as he thought upon his best friend and the child he had only known for a short time.  
  
Tears could easily be seen in Chi-Chi's eyes as she dealt with the death of both her husband and child. Although one would return, her only child, the light of her life, was gone, never to return. 


	2. Chapter 2: Found

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, it characters, or anything in it; nor do I own any other licensed product/item that may appear throughout this fan fiction piece.  
  
AN: Wow! Thanks so much for those reviews. I couldn't see any except Ren's until yesterday.. That really sucked too. I wanted to know what you guys thought but it seems at least a few of you like it. This chapter is a bit longer than the last. Warning though, most chapters are about 4 pages from Word (Chapter one was only two). I always cut through to get some semblance of a cliffhanger. Sorry about that. Now, enjoy this chapter and let me know what you guys think. Ja'ne!  
  
Chapter 2  
  
In the small town of Greenfield, far from Mount Paozu, Erik and Angel Daemon awoke at eight am as routine. After their personal morning rituals, Angel awoke their four year old daughter, Cassandra, and dressed her as well. Downstairs, Erik quickly fixed breakfast before sitting down together and enjoying their morning as a family in a dining room surrounded by boxes.  
  
Erik and Angel Daemon had married shortly after Cassandra's birth. Childhood sweethearts and high school lovers, the pair had been planning to marry before Angel realized she was pregnant. The pair had continued to live in their hometown, planning to raise their family there. Erik followed in his father's footsteps as his father had followed in his father's. They were a family of martial artists; generation after generation had participated in martial arts competitions world wide. He had spent the past five years participating in competitions as well as instructing at his father's dojo.  
  
The day before, the Daemons had moved to Greenfield at an offer for Erik to start his own dojo. Jumping at the chance, the family had packed up and moved in less than two weeks. They had just moved into their two story home on the edge of town. Eric had bought their home, five acres of surrounding land, and a closing dojo on a previous trip to the town. They had yet to meet anyone in their new home. Socializing would have to wait.  
  
Erik peered out of the dining room window and out onto their land. That side of the house had a view of the large lake and the woodland that covered most of their property. It was very scenic with the blue sky and beautiful surroundings. These things had attracted him to the property as well. And now, with it being autumn, the tree's color change had made the property even more beautiful.  
  
On this day, however, the blue sky was marred with a smoke trail. It was at this time that Eric remembered the tremors that had shaken the house. The family wasn't exactly foreign to earthquakes, but it hadn't been enough for Eric to be overly concerned about. Now seeing the trail of smoke coming from the woods, he had the feeling that there was more to the shockwaves than a possible earthquake.  
  
Running out into the cool morning air in his gi, Erik headed towards the source of the smoke. He had just moved there and certainly didn't want his new home burnt down. Pushing through the dense underbrush, he headed deeper into the woods. Finally, Erik came across a fairly deep crater.  
  
Noting there was no actual fire, Erik slid down the edge of the crater and towards the smoking debris. He quickly realized that it was some sort of metal object. Upon closer inspection, he found it was a spherical object. Smoke poured from what appeared to be engines. The small circular window was cracked and the outside's metal covering was cracked and falling apart.  
  
Looking through the small window, Erik was shocked to see a small boy curled into a corner of the ship. He quickly began to pull with all of his strength on the door. Luckily it had been blown off track allowing him to grab the edge. Years of training paid off in those moments as he was able to pull the door open far enough to get in.  
  
The interior was like a high tech computer terminal. Erik didn't know too much about technology, but he was keen enough to know that this was very high tech. Far too advanced to be operated by a child. Smoke oozed from the control panels and sparks flared from exposed wires. Very carefully, Erik moved to the child and kneeled down beside him, checking all of the necessary vitals. The boy seemed fine, he was just unconscious.  
  
Having a nurse for a wife, he knew that moving the child could be dangerous, but it seemed to him that leaving him in the machine was more dangerous. Gingerly, Erik picked up the boy and exited the ship. Once he was out of the crater and a safe distance away, he gently laid the child down on the soft grass.  
  
The boy possessed fair skin that appeared lighter due to his black spiky hair. Short spikes appeared in the front as the rest of the hair was gathered in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. His clothes were torn quite a bit, but Erik could easily see he was wearing green pants, black boots, and a green, yellow, red and white over shirt. The symbol on the front was torn in half. Noticing that the most of the child's injuries were bruises and scrapes, Eric gathered the child in his arms once more only to be shocked by two things.  
  
The arm supporting the boy's head seemed unusually warm and there seemed to be a furry appendage behind the boy. Shifting the boy's head up, Erik noticed that the warmth came from blood that was seeping through his shirt, originating from the back of the boys head. Passing the appendage off as a figure of the imagination, Erik took off running towards the house, child in hand.  
  
Bursting through the door, Erik motioned for Angel to follow him. Laying the boy on the plastic covered mattress of an unused bed, he told Angel what had happened. Angel immediately moved into her nurse mode as she ordered Erik to bring the first aid kit, hot water, a cold washrag, and her own nursing bag.  
  
As he went off for those things, she removed the boy's overcoat and boots, leaving him in his green pants and white undershirt. Noticing the gash on the child's knee, she went to remove the pants only to see a golden brown tail. Jumping back, her eyes wide as saucers, Angel breathed deeply. Surely what she had seen was fake. Removing his pants, she realized that the tail was indeed attached to the boy's backside.  
  
Erik entered and noticed his wife's shock. Peering over her shoulder, he saw the tail as well. The couple looked at each other in shock. People don't just have tails. Shaking her head, Angel decided that it would have to wait. Taking the supplies from her husband, she pushed him out of the room.  
  
Erik headed downstairs still shocked at what he had seen. Sitting at the dining room table, he looked at his now soggy cereal. Poking at it dejectedly with his spoon, he found his mind fully focused on the boy upstairs. The fact that the boy had a tail started him, but he was still trying to figure out how he had gotten there. Erik was shaken from his thoughts as he felt a slight tug on his arm. Looking down, he found himself looking into the innocent midnight blue eyes of his daughter.  
  
"Daddy, who was that boy?"  
  
"Hey sweetie." he said pulling her onto his lap. "Daddy found him in the woods. He was in an accident so your mommy's taking care of him."  
  
Grinning at her father, Cassandra cuddled up on his lap to take a nap. Erik looked down at her, realizing just how grown she was. It only seemed like yesterday that she had been an infant, and he had been scared to pick her up. Ruffling the child's curly black hair, Eric closed his eyes, falling asleep.  
  
Suddenly, Erik felt himself being shaken awake. Opening his eyes, he found another pair of dark blue eyes peering at him. Only this time it belonged to his golden haired wife. Jumping up, his thoughts immediately went to the child he had found in the woods.  
  
Silently, Angel led her husband to their room. She had to clean up the blood from the other room, so temporarily laid the child on their bed, covered with blankets. Erik casually noted the child was wearing nothing but his underwear, displaying his chubby figure. All of his scrapes and gashes had been expertly bandaged.  
  
"Twenty six stitches, just to let you know. If you hadn't found him, he would probably be dead." Angel said in a hushed voice. She moved to sit beside the child. Brushing the dark bangs from his eyes, she looked at the boy before her.  
  
Erik moved beside his wife, putting a comforting arm around her. His wife loved children, which is why she was a pediatric nurse. However, having Cassandra at such a young age had caused complications. She could no longer have children. Both of them came from large families and had wanted a large family of their own. Angel had felt so guilty when they discovered her inability to carry another child.  
  
Silently, Angel handed her husband the set of dog tags that she had removed from the boy. Turning them over in his hand, Erik quickly read the single word printed on them. "Gohan." he whispered as he replaced them around the boy's neck.  
  
The two slipped from the room and into the kitchen. Angel silently began to clear the table and load the dishwasher. They knew they would have to wait until the boy awoke to have any answers. All they had was a single name.  
  
Three hours later, the pair heard soft whimpering coming from their bedroom. The couple rushed into the room, followed by their curious daughter.  
  
~*~  
  
Curled up on the king sized bed, tears slowly escaped the youth's eyes. Waking up in a dark and empty room, not knowing where he was frightened him immensely. Whimpering, he drew his legs to him tighter, hoping to disappear. Suddenly, the doors burst open as Erik and Angel entered the room. The pair immediately rushed to the boy's side. Cassandra stood in the doorway, her thumb in her mouth, watching the scene play before her.  
  
Choking back his sobs, the dark haired boy looked at the adults. The blonde haired woman immediately attempted to soothe him while the black haired man stood off to the side. Worry was apparent in his emerald eyes. Looking upon the two, the child suddenly realized he didn't recognize them.  
  
"Who-who are y-you?" he asked.  
  
The blonde smiled immediately. "My name is Angel. This is my husband, Erik, and over there is my daughter, Cassandra."  
  
His eyebrows furrowed as he thought over the names. None of them were familiar. "W-where am I?"  
  
Noticing the boys deep thought, Angel hesitated. "You're in Greenfield."  
  
His eyebrows deepened in thought once more. Suddenly, the child was hit like a ton of bricks. Looking up at the two adults with tear filled eyes, he asked the question that shook him to his core.  
  
"Who am I?"  
  
~*~  
  
Quick note: If you want to be on a mailing list for when this updates, then let me know your email address in either a review or in an email. If its an email, then I'm going to need you to tell me the fic's title. I have two other stories so if you just write an email saying, add me to your mailing list, I'm not going to know which story's mailing list you want to be on. Ja' 


	3. Chapter 3: A New Begining

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, it characters, or anything in it; nor do I own any other licensed product/item that may appear throughout this fan fiction piece.  
  
A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews people! I'm glad to know that there are at least a few people who are reading this story. I know it has been kinda slow, but this is only the beginning. There are a lot of things happening soon and beware, this fic is categorized as angst for a reason! Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Shocked, Angel turned to her husband. Erik sat next to his wife and looked at the young boy with heavy regard. He could tell the boy was scared. Turning to his wife, he noticed that she seemed to be deep in thought.  
  
"He hit is head . . ." she whispered. Looking up at her husband, they met eye to eye. "When he hit his head, he must have hit it too hard . . . he has amnesia." Glancing at the boy, she saw his eyes widen once more.  
  
"Y-you mean I-I forgot everything?"  
  
Angel's eyes widened even more. The boy was obviously intelligent. Her daughter couldn't have told you what amnesia meant. Pulling the boy into her arms, Angel began to rock the sobbing child. "Its alright." she whispered in a soothing voice. "Everything will be just fine."  
  
Soon the child's tear lessened as he looked up at the woman who held him close. "Are you my mommy?" he asked his voice full of curiosity and innocence.  
  
Looking at the boy, Angel felt her heart swell with emotions. Holding him closer, she murmured her response. "No, I'm not. But I wish I was."  
  
~*~  
  
After talking with the child, Angel quickly realized that the child's intelligence had not been affected by the crash. He was bright as could be and very in tune with others. He quickly realized her feelings and acted towards them. He was everything Angel had ever hoped for in a child. She had always wanted a son. His bright inquisitive eyes displayed his childlike curiosity at the family around him; however, Angel could easily see the shadows that lurked in the corners.  
  
He had no memory of his family, his life, or even his name. He didn't know what the machine was, why he was in it, how he had crashed. Nothing. He didn't even know he had a tail until she had pointed it out. And at that, he didn't know why.  
  
Angel and Erik sat down at the table to talk. Both of the children had fallen asleep again. Unpacking was forgotten, their minds were consumed with the child upstairs. They both wanted him to stay, to be their son. But there were a number of matters at hand.  
  
"If we turn him over to social services, what's going to happen when they find out he has a tail? A tail Erik. Normal people don't have tails."  
  
"I know Angel. I know. But what about his family? He has to have one out there. We can't just take the child in and not even look for his past. Think about it. What if Cass was to go missing? Would you want someone to just take her and not even look to see if we existed?"  
  
"No, Erik, I wouldn't. I would want my daughter back. But he has no memory of his life. There is nothing to tell us who he is or where he came from. Only a set of dog tags with a name. His name, I'm guessing." Lowering her voice, she turned to her husband with pleading eyes. "If we turn him to the authorities, he'll go to a foster home. Or a testing center. He'll always be seen as a freak. We can't let that happen to him."  
  
Sighing, Erik knew that they were both right. "Look, we will keep him here for a little while and see if his memory comes back. If not, we will take him to Social Services and legally adopt him. We can hide his tail and if they decide to do tests, then we will be with him and make sure no one sees it."  
  
Joy lit her face as she hugged her husband tightly. "Thank you Erik. Thank you."  
  
~*~  
  
A week later, the young child known as Gohan was legally adopted by the Daemons. They had found that Social Services were swamped with children, so with the prospect that the child could be adopted, they had jumped at the chance. After a doctor diagnosed Gohan with amnesia, Social Services had provided them with all the legal work necessary, with the understanding that should he get his memory back, they would have to act accordingly. However, the doctor was sure that the child's memories were lost forever.  
  
~*~  
  
(About One Year Later)  
  
"Come on Gohan. Attack me!"  
  
Grinning at his father, Gohan began a series of punches and kicks. Six months after he had been adopted, Erik had begun lessons in the martial arts for him and his sister. Much to his parent's amazement, his attacks were not 'child's play.' He possessed extraordinary power, surpassing any other child Erik had seen.  
  
Gohan's first year with them had been relatively normal. After the adoption, Angel had nearly bought out the little boys' section of most of the children's clothing stores at the mall. They had fixed up the room where he had initially been taken when they first found him. Without knowing his favorite cartoon or any other normal decoration for a child's room, Erik had set about to decorate his room with martial arts symbols and even weapons.  
  
Just because he had been adopted didn't exclude him from being trained in the martial arts like all of the Daemons before him. Everyday Gohan went to his father's dojo, spending time with other students and helping his father. He was a natural at fighting, his skill improved daily.  
  
Now, in November, Gohan was also going to school. At first, Angel and Erik had been hesitant to put him in kindergarten with their daughter. So far they had succeeded in hiding Gohan's tail from the world. Other than this physical abnormality, Angel had discovered Gohan's intelligence to be far superior to any other child his age. After they settled their son in his new home, Angel remembered the boy's keen understanding and the obvious intelligence reflected in the boy's vocabulary. She had taken him for academic testing, finding that at age four, the boy was near, if not at, genius level. Without knowing his history, Angel was not sure if it was natural ability or whether he had been academically trained. She figured it was natural intelligence, for who would make a four year old study?  
  
After endless discussions, they decided to go ahead and send him. Everyday he was told to keep his tail hidden. Gohan knew that it wasn't normal to have one. His parents didn't have them, or his sister, or anyone else he had met. He knew that he was adopted, but without a past to reflect on, he accepted his new life with ease.  
  
After a long day of school and training for the youngest male Daemon, he and his father headed home. When they arrived, Erik could tell something serious had happened. Angel's face was ashen and horror struck. Taking him into another room, she told her husband of the mysterious attack and the battle to save Earth. Erik calmly reassured her, believed that everything would be fine. Little did he know the truth of what had shaken his wife.  
  
Angel had kept silent about a few details. She figured it was better left unknown. The two attackers, one short with flame like black hair and a tall bald man, had arrived in strange metal pods. Another upsetting factor was that they seemed to possess tails . . . just like Gohan.  
  
~*~  
  
(Days later with the Z-senshi)  
  
The battle had been hard, the end results had been worse. Krillin and Goku were the only survivors. Vegeta had escaped. But worst of all for this group of saviors, there were no dragonballs.  
  
Goku had been wished back, however, the time it took to get down Snake Way had been forgotten, thus resulting in a late entrance. He had arrived in time to see Piccolo's demise. Nappa was quickly disposed of and with the help of Krillin and, surprisingly, Yajarobie, Goku had defeated Vegeta.  
  
Now, days later, Goku watched as Bulma and Krillin left the hospital to head off into space. They were headed to the Planet Namek, home to the dragonballs. This way, they could wish Piccolo back and then the rest of their friends. The dragonballs on earth would reappear and they could also make a wish from here. It was a perfect plan.  
  
In light of the upcoming revivals, Goku's heart was heavy. With the training on King Kai's planet and the fight with the Saiyans, he had never truly been able to accept and morn the death of his only son. Now, more than a year later, he allowed his tears to fall. Together, Chi-Chi and Goku cried for the son they had for such a short time, whose smile could make any of their pain and sadness disappear, whom they would both miss so very much.  
  
~*~  
  
Yeah, I know, a short chapter. But this fic isn't going to have extremely long chapters. Most of the time it's going to be left on some dramatic note or with a cliffhanger. Well, the mailing list still applies. If you want to get on it, email me (and tell me the story title) or leave it in the review (and say you want to be on it). And for those on the list, lemme know if you didn't get it.  
  
Quick thanx to Ren (aka Ren-chan) who is constantly listening to me rant and rave, bringing me to new ideas for this story, check all of her stories out!  
  
And, of course, many thanks to all of you who reviewed. Without it, I wouldn't have the inspiration I so value and use.  
  
Ja'ne!  
  
Ice Angel 


	4. Chapter 4: Discovery

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, it characters, or anything in it; nor do I own any other licensed product/item that may appear throughout this fan fiction piece.  
  
AN: Wow! These reviews are great. I'm glad so many of you are enjoying this fic. And, the question that I expected has arisen. Why not get Gohan back with the Namek dragonballs? Well, first off, if they did find out what really happened, this whole fic would be short and pointless. Sure, I could deal with his loss of memory, but no more fun than that. And the reasons, story wise, are provided in here. I want to thank Android 17 for his suggestion . . . you read my mind. This story is written many chapters ahead, I think I'm at chapter 11. But anyway, enjoy!  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter 4  
  
As the sun peeked over the horizon, Gohan awoke with a jolt, his heart racing and his head ringing a warning. Long ago, Gohan had discovered he possessed an unusual ability. It was hard for him to describe, but it was a sixth sense.  
  
That day he had been drawing. For a child, he had an uncanny ability to draw. Some of the things he drew he had no memory of, but they seemed so familiar. On that particular day, he was sitting at the kitchen table, working on a picture of a dragon. He had never seen one before, but this dragon was kind of like a snake. In his mind, he could barely see it and in his childish drawings he couldn't quite capture it, but to him it was a giant green scaled dragon with glowing red eyes. He drew the dragon quite often, just like a set of spheres to accompany it. He could never figure out what they were or what they meant. It was like a word on the tip of the tongue. It's faintly there, but he couldn't grasp it. As he drew, his concentration was on getting the picture right for once.  
  
Cassandra had been watching him, waiting for a chance to get him to spar with her. Their father had trained them both and they spared daily. With her patience worn out, she silently crept up on him and aimed a punch at his head. Closing her eyes in silent praise for finally being able to land a punch on her brother, Cassandra felt the impact of flesh on flesh. However, it didn't feel quite right. Opening her eyes, she was able to see her brother looking at her rather annoyed.  
  
"Whacha want Cass? I'm drawing" he wined. Her punch had been blocked.  
  
Cassandra was outraged. Her brother had been wrapped up in drawing. He had no way of knowing she was going to attack. Getting it together, she forcefully asked him how he knew she was going to attack him.  
  
Barely paying attention to his older sister, he answered. "I could sense you move from your corner over behind me. And then I could feel you before you attacked."  
  
Cassandra only stared at him in shock. What did he mean by he could feel her? Knowing that she wouldn't get a straight answer from him, she left him. From that day on, she always remembered it. He could easily tell where someone was, even if he couldn't see them. Playing hide and seek was never any fun with him because of this ability. He could always find her. But when he tried to teach her how to do it, she couldn't sense him. She could faintly sense her parents, but never him.  
  
But now, less than a year later, he was feeling shaken by his own ability. He could feel some dark and great power, one so dark it scared him. Yet, it also felt so familiar, as if he had felt it before. Gohan was awakened from his thoughts by a deep growling from his stomach. Pushing himself from bed, he stumbled downstairs to eat. Once down there, he was greeted with excitement, enthusiasm, and a lot of hugs. Regarding them with confusion, he sat down. Suddenly it hit him. Today was his birthday! They weren't sure when his birthday was so they used the day they had found him as his birthday. Gohan quickly forgot about the dark feeling that morning and ate his breakfast with renewed enthusiasm.  
  
Eight hours, thirty-three presents, a whole cake, and a gallon of ice cream later.  
  
Gohan cheerfully waved to the last of his friends as they disappeared around a bend in the road. Although this was only his second birthday party that he could remember, Gohan figured that this one had been best of all. Running back into the kitchen, he grinned widely at his parents before throwing himself into their arms, squeezing them tightly.  
  
Erik and Angel were taken aback at the boy's strength. He had proven himself to be very strong and a very skillful fighter, but never had the child exerted that much strength on them. Feeling short of breath, Angel attempted to peel her son from her. Getting the message, Gohan let go and backed away grinning sheepishly. However, seeing Cassandra peek around the corner, Gohan suddenly remembered that in all of the excitement, he hadn't gotten to terrorize his sister yet. After all, what else were little brothers for?  
  
Angel and Eric watched as Gohan took off after his sister giggling madly. After watching the two six-year-olds disappear upstairs, the two parents collapsed on the floor. Leaning up against the kitchen cabinets, Eric and Angel took a moment to relax.  
  
"Who ever thought that twenty five six year olds could have that much energy." Angel said with a laugh. Snuggling in her husband's embrace, Angel sighed in relief.  
  
"Angel, are you forgetting that it was our son who consumed a meal large enough to feed a family of eight and then some, an entire cake, a full gallon of ice cream, and still asked if we had anything else to eat?"  
  
The two burst into laughs as they remembered how innocent he looked asking that question. All of the other parents had stood there in shock and disbelief. But then again, Erik and Angel were used to the boy's large appetite. The two quieted down as Gohan's yells echoed down the stairwell.  
  
Quirking a golden eyebrow at her husband, Angel decided to make a wager. "Wanna bet that Cass got a hold of his tail again?"  
  
Chuckling, Erik quickly declined the offer.  
  
They had learned, much earlier on, that Gohan's tail had heightened sensitivity. While shopping at the grocery store, the two kids had begun to run up and down the aisle. In his excitement, Gohan had forgotten to keep his tail around his waist. When he zoomed past his father, Erik had reached out and grabbed a hold of his tail. The boy had instantly fallen to his knees, unable to move. Tears streamed down Gohan's pained contorted face. Upon noticing his reaction, Erik immediately released the boy's golden tail and watched as his son fell to the floor in insurmountable pain. The couple had received a few cold glares from other customers, thinking they had beat the boy. But ever since that day, Cassandra had exploited that weakness, especially when Gohan picked on her.  
  
Shouts reverberated through the stairwell as Gohan headed straight to his parents. Cassandra followed close behind, a smirk firmly fixed on her childish face. With tears in his large obsidian eyes, Gohan immediately latched himself around his mother.  
  
"Mommy, Cass pulled my tail again." Working up the biggest and most effective puppy dog eyes look, Gohan stared as his mother.  
  
Angel sighed as she held him tighter and began to rub his back soothingly. There was no doubt in her mind that he had somehow provoked her, but she also knew that pulling his tail was very painful. She had figured out that the thing was a network of nerves and nearly had a mind of its own. He never had full control of it. Instead of doing it herself, she stood up and began to carry her son upstairs to leave Erik with the task of disciplining their daughter. At least that was the plan.  
  
Cassandra was not a dumb child. She knew that she would get a lecture about pulling her brother's tail. She got one every time she did it. Not like it stopped her. Slyly, she watched as her mother carried Gohan out of the room, yet she also noticed another thing. Gohan's tail, which was normally around his waist, was hanging down limply. Slowly, she slipped up to them. Then, very quickly, she grabbed a hold of his tail and pulled hard, harder than she had ever pulled before.  
  
Gohan screamed in outrage and pain as he felt the firm and hard tug. Like a cat, he jumped up, only there was nothing to jump up to. However, in his state of pain, he didn't realize what he was doing. Yet, Angel, Erik, and Cassandra stared in shock.  
  
It wasn't his cries of pain, his tears, or his pain throbbing tail that disturbed them. Their son was floating high in the air. When he had jumped, he had freed himself from his mother's arms and gone higher. Now, he was clutching his tail and sobbing terribly while floating mid air. The Daemons had grown accustomed to the boy's nuances: the tail, the amount of food he consumed, his amazing strength, his rapid healing, and fighting prowess. And now, their son was floating.  
  
Gohan was ignorant to their shock. Consumed by the pain his tail had endured, he carefully held it, as if soothing the furry appendage. As the most intense pain slowly faded, Gohan hit his head. Wincing at another pain in his young body, Gohan used one hand to rub his head. However, when he went to sooth his aching head, his hand hit a rather rough surface. Slowly looking up, Gohan was faced with a rough white hard surface. Looking down, he was shocked to see his family staring at him. up at him.  
  
Blood drained from the child's face as he realized he was floating in the middle of their kitchen. As soon as it hit him, he fell straight onto the hard wood floor. Angel rushed to her son, expecting the worst, only to watch as a dazed Gohan pulled himself up and dusted himself off. The boy had just fallen about eight feet, yet there was no bruise, no scrape, no broken bone, nothing to show for that. Involuntarily, Angel took a step away from her son.  
  
Slowly, the boy surveyed his family. Each of them staring at him with awe, amazement, shock, and could it be. fear? Cocking his head to the side, his eyes innocently gazed upon his astounded family as he asked such an innocent question. "What?"  
  
~*~  
  
Piccolo and Krillin wearily returned to Earth. The day had been a long and grueling battle. It had taken all of their energy, plus the unexpected arrival of Tien and Choutzu, to defeat Garlic Jr.  
  
Not for the first time in the past two years, the fighters wished that Gohan had been there. Even if the boy hadn't known or realized it, he was the one who defeated Garlic Jr. so many years ago.  
  
With that thought running through his head, tears gathered in Krillin's eyes as a devastating memory ran through his mind. After both Gohan and Goku had died, the fighters were forced to revive only one, the other would never return to life. The one year limit on the dragonballs had bound them so tightly. But with the coming of the Saiyans, Goku had to be revived and his son had to move on in the Other World. Then, with the knowledge of the Namek dragonballs, they had discovered that Gohan could be revived. With that, both Bulma and himself had decided that Gohan should be one of their wishes, but Frieza had destroyed that chance.  
  
Then, on Earth, with the Namek dragonballs, another chance was at hand, only to be swatted down once again. Not because of a limit, or a tyrant, but because of the dragon that held so much hope. Chi-Chi, unsupported by Goku, who was out in space, had asked the Namek dragon, Portunga, to revive her son, only to be met with impossibility. The dragon had merely left it at that, destroying the hope of a lost mother. Chi-Chi's heartbroken wail had haunted him for so long. To be given hope and then have it taken away so many times. shaking his head as if to clear his mind of such thoughts, Krillin glanced over at his fellow fighter. The two shared a look, acknowledging the similarities of their thoughts.  
  
The two separated, flying to their own destinations. Krillin to Kame Island. Piccolo to somewhere in the wilderness. Each of them haunted by their own memories and a growing fact in their dangerous life.  
  
This time they were lucky, but without Goku or Vegeta (as much as they hated to admit to this), it was getting a bit harder to defend Earth. Every challenge became stronger and stronger. Every opponent harder. If it continued this way, a challenge could appear that none of them could beat, even Goku.  
  
~*~  
  
Now, just in case I didn't make it clear, here is why Gohan's situation wasn't discovered. After Radditz, they had to revive Goku to fight Vegeta, so the Earth's dragonball's year limit canceled out any hope of reviving Gohan. (I know the series messed it up, having him revived more than a year later . . . but . . . oh well.) Then, when they took off to Namek, they didn't know about the rules of those dragonballs. Then, on Namek, the Frieza saga pretty much went as is, only without Gohan. Dende managed to save Krillin the first time around (after being speared by Frieza's horns) and Recome didn't kill them. But, they did revive Piccolo, then have him brought to Namek, and then their third wish from Namek was used to take everyone to Earth, and Earth's was still to revive all those on Namek. Then, on Earth, with the Namek's dragonballs, they began wishing back those killed by the Saiyans, Goku (who turned out not to be dead), and Gohan. Now, I havn't seen the episode of Portunga's response on Goku, but for Gohan, the dragon merely said that it was impossible, that it couldn't be done. No reason, no insight, nothing was given to why not. So, while Chi- Chi was breaking down, the other decided not to push their failure and continued to wish as they did in the series. Got it? I hope so!  
  
Alright, the mailing list is still on. If you want to be added, then just leave your email address in your review, stating you want on the mailing list, or email me (and make sure you tell me the title of the story. or else you might get on all mailing lists). For those who asked to be added, if you didn't get the notification, please let me know.  
  
Quick preview: Mirai Trunks makes his debut, bring news of death and distruction . . . only to be met with a surprise death. Woe to this boy of the future. And, another glimpse into the lives of the Daemons. See you in the next chapter minna-san!  
  
Ice Angel 


	5. Chapter 5: A Future Unchanged

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, it characters, or anything in it; nor do I own any other licensed product/item that may appear throughout this fan fiction piece.  
  
And I don't own the conversation between Goku and Mirai Trunks. I stole it from the Dub, only altered it and shortened it a bit. But most of their dialogue came from the show! Credit to them.  
  
AN: Thanks so much for all the great reviews! I love them! Please keep on reviewing! Anyway, this is kind of a short chapter . . . it's just a filler chapter. And please note, the Mirai Trunks in this timeline is from the one we see in the anime. The future would not exist without Gohan and I didn't feel like fixing it all up with a way to work it out. Sure, I could have changed it, made it this way, and did an alternate Trunks Special, but then this fic wouldn't turn out right, because either Mirai would not have known Gohan or else he would have told the Z-fighters where he was. That wouldn't be good for my story now would it? So, Mirai Trunks is from the original timeline we see on the Trunks Special. Got it? Hope so! Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 5  
  
On a high cliff side, the remaining Z-senshi (minus Goku and Gohan of course) watched as a mysterious lavender-haired youth destroy two of the strongest and most intimidating tyrants in existence. This mysterious boy destroyed both King Cold and Frieza in a matter of moments, and apparently no difficulty.  
  
In a hesitant alliance, the group awaited Goku's arrival. The boy seemed to have been puzzled as he looked over the crowd, searching for a missing face. Hours later a small ship headed towards earth, landing a few miles from the waiting group.  
  
Immediately upon Goku's exit, the young many asked for a few minutes alone with him. Together, the pair flew off into the distance to have their discussion privately. He quickly challenged Goku to go Super Saiyan. Evenly matched, the two fighters showed off their individual moves. After their display, the boy felt that he could trust the full blooded Saiyan. After swearing him to secrecy, he began his story.  
  
"My name is Trunks, this is going to sound really strange but I'm not from this time. I traveled here in a time machine twenty years from the future."  
  
"From the future? That's incredible."  
  
"Yes, Vegeta was right, only the two of you have Saiyan blood, and I got mine from him. He's my father."  
  
Shock was evident on Goku's face as he took in this news. "What? You're kidding! Wow! You're absolutely sure that Vegeta's your father?"  
  
"Yes, I'm half Saiyan, half Earthling."  
  
"Your serious. Vegeta's son. my gosh." Looking back and forth from father to son, Goku continued. "Yes, Yes, I can see the resemblance. Wow!"  
  
"I will be born two years from now."  
  
"No kidding! Vegeta's going to be a daddy! That's incredible. Man, who would have ever thought." Goku said laughing loudly.  
  
Interrupting him, Trunks took charge of the discussion. "Goku, I didn't come here to tell you that. I have to talk to you about something. "In three years, on the morning of May 12th at ten am, a horribly destructive duo will show up on an island nine miles southwest of South City. They have dreadful power, even by our standards. They're monsters Goku. That's the best way I know to describe them. They're monsters. Once this pair surfaces, the Earth and everything you know will be gone for good."  
  
"What's the deal? Are they aliens?"  
  
Slowly the boy continued. The destructive duo was androids created by one of Goku's former opponents, Dr. Gero. Trunks continued to explain how Gero lived on after the fight with the Red Ribbon Army and created them for an unknown purpose. He also spoke more of the two's power and their delight in killing. Explaining the current situation his world was in, Trunks told Goku of how they turned on their creator, how they delighted in destruction, and how they forced the population into hiding.  
  
"Oh man. Gosh, You defeated Frieza in a flash, and yet, from what you're saying, these androids are even stronger than you."  
  
"They are, for sure. Hunting me down is one of their favorite hobbies, but its two against one, there's not much I can do against them except run."  
  
"What?! What about all the others? I mean, aren't they helping you?"  
  
"They can't. They're dead. Three years from now the Earth's Special Forces will be gone. I'm all that's left; I'm doing the best I can. They're all gone. Vegeta, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Chouzu, even Piccolo . they're all going to loose their lives against the androids in a horrible battle. There will only be one survivor, that is my master and best friend Gohan. But thirteen years later they get him. That was three years ago, my time." Trunks fell silent as he pushed away the thoughts of his best friend. Looking up, he noticed Goku looking at the ground, where a few tears had fallen. Immediately the boy was concerned. "What is it Goku?"  
  
"Trunks. the G-Gohan of our time i-is dead."  
  
Trunks merely stared at him as if he had grown a few extra heads. "Dead? He can't be dead." Slowly, Trunks began to break down. "I couldn't save him in my time. I-I thought that I could save him here."  
  
Goku put a comforting arm around the demi-Saiyan. He knew how much he missed his own son and for a boy who had been through hell, the loss of his best friend twice must tear him up inside. Slowly, Trunk's sobs subsided. Quickly, Trunks brushed the tears away. Knowing that the subject of Gohan wasn't the best thought for either of them, Goku asked one of the questions that were bugging him.  
  
"What about me? Do I die too?"  
  
Slowly, Trunks continued about his time and gave Goku the medicine for his heart virus. He also divulged the truth of his origin, watching as Goku fell over laughing upon hearing his mother was none other than Bulma Briefs. As Goku calmed down, he promised to return in three years, their time. For him, a small adjustment to his machine and he would be there. Bidding them goodbye and good luck, Trunks hopped into his time machine.  
  
From high in the sky, Trunks took a last look at the fighters he never knew, at the father he never knew, and the life that would not exist for him. Slowly, he spoke words only his own heart and ears could hear to his parents. And with a final glistening tear, he bid his mentor and best friend a final farewell. After going through space and time in hope to see his friend, he had found that death had claimed Gohan much sooner than he had thought. With a final wave, the time traveler disappeared into the sky.  
  
~*~  
  
The Daemons were relaxing by the lake on their property, enjoying the August heat. The summer was about to end and Gohan and Cassandra would be returning to school soon. Cass had just celebrated her seventh birthday and Gohan's would be in less than two months. Erik and Angel were relaxing by the water's edge, enjoying the peace and quiet. This was quickly ended as Cass pushed Gohan, who had been doing katas, into the water.  
  
Gohan shot out of the water and into the air before stopping. Floating mid- air, he surveyed the land. In one fell swoop, he had picked up his sister and dumped her into the middle of the lake. Laughing, he landed near his parents to await her arrival. Everyone had grown used to his strange ability. While he waited for his sister to swim ashore, he shook his tail dry, spraying his parents with water. Rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, he grinned at them. Their attention was taken as Cassandra made her entrance.  
  
"That's no fair Gohan Daemon! Your not allowed to fly cause I can't!" Pouting, she dropped herself onto Erik's lap. Gohan merely stuck his tongue out at his sister before racing back into the cool water. With a loud shout, Cass raced after her brother, seeking retribution.  
  
Chuckling, Erik and Angel headed into the water as well. The past year had been interesting. After Gohan's discovery on flying, the Daemons had yet another problem. Gohan had to train to control his ability so that he didn't spontaneously take flight in the middle of crowds. However, Erik wasn't used to teaching someone to fly. Their sessions together had often ended with Gohan falling on his face, over a cliff, into a tree or some other obstacle. After a little bit of practice, the bright boy had realized that he was using an inner power, and that if he focused it right, he could maneuver through the air easily. Gohan had tried to explain this to his parents, but they were still at a loss for what to say. Most of his abilities had been like that.  
  
During one session in particular, Gohan had shot some sort of light beam at Erik, who barely dodged him. The boy had merely stared at his hands for an hour. Everyone had definitely been shocked about that and it had left another thing to be controlled. However, Gohan wasn't fond of the blast, he tried not to use it and didn't have great control of it either.  
  
Other than that, they had to make sure no one else saw what he could do. Angel's mind ached with the remembrance of the two brutes that had tried to take over Earth almost two years ago. The similarities between her son and those monsters were startling. Tails, metal pods, super strength, and now the ability to fly and blast. But none of this changed the fact that she loved her son completely.  
  
Both her and Erik had spent a number of nights thinking about their son. They were constantly haunted by the thought of his memory returning. It wasn't that they didn't want him to remember, but that they couldn't bear to let him go. They both loved Gohan has if he were their own flesh and blood. They loved him and nothing could ever prohibit that. Erik swore that if anyone ever tried to take their son away, there would be hell to pay.  
  
~*~  
  
Alright, so this chapter was short and didn't really advance much, but it was a filler chapter. I had to bring Mirai to Earth (that is a major event) and have his reaction to Gohan's death. Then, a light moment in the Daemon family and some coping. However, I'm going ahead and doing this, a MAJOR WARNING!!!! The upcoming chapters become dark, angsty ones. So if you can't stand it, and you read this angst fic anyway, you have a warning.  
  
MAILING LIST: Still going on! Leave your email address in your review and tell me you wanna join, or email me, and tell me the name of the story and you can be added.  
  
Next time: Christmas has arrived and the character's situations couldn't be more different. At the CC's Annual Christmas Ball, a big announcement is made! Then, over in Greenfield, the Daemon children are tucked in bed with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads. but not for long. On this fateful night, darkness comes in more ways then one, destroying their happy lives in an instant.  
  
SNEAK PEAK: "His anger rose as he took in the surroundings, especially how one of the men held his mother. The intruder was pressing Angel's small frame into the mattress while he towered above her form. Her silk nightgown disarray, showing a bit more than it should have. Seeing red, Gohan prepared to attack because no one messed with anyone he loved, especially his parents . . ." 


	6. Chapter 6: Christmas Fear

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, it characters, or anything in it; nor do I own any other licensed product/item that may appear throughout this fan fiction piece.  
  
AN: This chapter is up a little quicker than usual, but the reviews have been great. I need to go ahead and address a few things. One, everyone is anticipating the reunion of the Z-senshi with Gohan. However, I'm working on chapter 13 right now, and I'm not close to that. I have a lot of plans for his life in here. The story is ANGST, and if you don't like it, you might not want to read any farther. This chapter starts it off. I have plans for their meetings and reactions, but no where near time to begin writing that. Sorry. Two: I'm a huge Gohan fan, and I know he gets tormented in a lot of fics, but that's what I'm doing. Granted, his torture is a bit different, but as a Gohan fan, I want him strongest. To make him strong, I have to apply a great deal of pressure and stress on him and his life. That's the way things are. Now, lets start the beginning of a long list of sad shit.  
  
~*~  
  
WARNING: THIS FIC IS AN ANGST!!!! THIS CHAPTER IS THE BEGINNING OF THE SERIOUS ALTERCATIONS AND TORMENT IN GOHAN'S LIFE. This is here so I get no flames saying how mean I am or how wrong I am being. You have been warned and this is an R rated fic. Acknowledge these facts before you proceed. Thanks!  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Christmas. The holiday of joy. Time spent with family and friends, reflecting on the past years as well as the years to come. Every place celebrates the holiday different, and some don't celebrate at all. It is a magical time of year, full of music, lights, presents, family, and happiness. However, the holiday season can also have its dark times. Crime rates are up, lost family members are remembered, and some can't afford anything to make their season brighter. Hope is sometimes all one has left and sometimes, in the darkest of times, even that is shattered.  
  
~*~  
  
Angel closed the front door and leaned against its hard surface. With a sigh, she headed back into the living room to be with her family. The room was covered in wrapped and unwrapped presents, the wrapping paper that belonged on some, bowls of popcorn, and of course, the three members of their immediate family. Both Erik and Angel's parents had been there, along with an entourage of their brothers, sisters, in-laws, nieces and nephews.  
  
The kids were lying amongst the debris, their eyes drooping. Both Erik and Angel began cleaning the room, stacking the unopened gifts under the tree, putting the unwrapped ones in the corner of the room, and picking up the ribbons, paper, and bows, as well as the food. As soon as the room was cleaned up, Erik bent down and gathered his daughter into his arms and headed off to her room. Angel did the same thing with Gohan, all the while wondering just why her husband always left her with their son. Their son, at the tender age of nine, possessed the sleek and well-muscled body of a fighter. His weight was nearly unbearable for her. Once in his room, she tucked him in and kissed him on the forehead, once again thanking Kami for her son.  
  
Once in her room, Angel immediately changed into her pajamas and crashed into bed. She knew that the children would wake up very early to see what they got for Christmas. Every year the times varied, but it could be anywhere from a few hours before to a little past daylight when they woke them up.  
  
Erik was left with putting the presents under the tree. As soon as that was done, he joined his wife in bed. Holding her close, he drifted off to sleep. Neither knew that their precious holiday could be destroyed in a blink of an eye.  
  
~*~  
  
The holidays at Capsule Corporation were a busy time. Bulma's life was hectic. Between taking care of infant Trunks, repairing Gravity Room after Gravity Room, working on inventions, helping run Capsule Corporation, and a number of other tasks, Bulma was planning CC's Annual Christmas Ball. Knowing that the caterers, the planners, the decorators, the small orchestra, and other servants were downstairs preparing for the night, Bulma was able to worry about preparing herself, her son, and the Prince.  
  
After her long luxuriating shower, Bulma took her seat at her vanity. Although she was a multi-billion dollar heiress, she felt she couldn't trust a single hairdresser in the city to touch her precious hair. She had always delighted in her beauty and even now, no one could ever guess she had a son who was less than a year old. With precision, Bulma combed through her long aqua tresses. Curling the ends of her hair, she allowed it to flow long and loose for the night. With diamond clips, she pulled the hair away from her face.  
  
Stepping into her long black gown, Bulma dressed for the party. The smooth stretchy fabric of the dress clung to her curves. The straps wrapped around her neck and the deep v of the neck of the gown displayed a large amount of cleavage. Two eighteen inch slits on each side of the dress displayed her long shapely legs. Four inch, strappy black heels helped accentuate her legs even further. Tear drop diamond earrings, a matching diamond necklace, diamond rings and bracelets all set in platinum accented her entire look. After appraising herself, she headed off to her grueling task.  
  
Vegeta.  
  
That name in its entirety displayed just how much trouble she would have. She had to force the short Prince into an Armani tuxedo and attempt to make him behave in front of her guests. She had already forbidden fighting with Goku. Entering the GR, Bulma was surprised to see him already dressed. Noticing her shock, he merely crossed his arms and turned at her with an obvious smirk.  
  
He may have hated getting dressed up, hated the planet, hated everything there, but he certainly did not hate seeing his mate dressed in such a revealing gown. Now, other people seeing her in it did bother him. He had learned long ago that arguing with her was pointless, just as forcing her (or attempting to force her) into a concealing gown was. Therefore, he found it easier on his precious Saiyan hearing just to go and make sure no one tried anything on his mate.  
  
The pair exited the room, heading inside. There she found her son, Trunks, in the arms of her mother. He was also dressed in a sort of mini tux. With that, the door bell rang signaling the arrival of their first guest. After shooting Vegeta a glare that warned him of the consequences of stepping out of the already set rules, Bulma nodded to the doorman to let them in. The party had begun.  
  
~*~  
  
The silence of the Daemon house was eerie.  
  
Lying awake in his bed, Gohan tried to figure out what had awoken him from his sleep. He could have sworn he had heard something, but the silence was deafening. Pulling his covers over his head, the boy tried to go back to sleep, but he couldn't. He could feel that something was wrong. His mind was racing, alerting him of something he couldn't figure out.  
  
Pushing his covers off of him, he hopped out of bed and headed downstairs. Flying into the kitchen, so not to wake anyone up, he poured himself a glass of milk. Gulping it down, he put the glass into the sink and headed back upstairs. As he passed his parents room, he could faintly hear a muffled sound.  
  
Knowing that a small sound could mean nothing, he headed back upstairs to bed. Still, the black haired youth could not sleep. Finally, he gave in to the sensation he was feeling. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on feeling for his family. His sister was in the room beside his, sleeping. His parents in their own room down the hall. but they were not alone. He could feel that two other people were in the house with them. A dark feeling passed over him as he read this with his sixth sense.  
  
Quickly, he flew out of his room and into his sister's. Waking her up, he gestured for her to remain silent. "Cass, someone bad is here." Ignoring his sister's panicked face, he put his hand over her mouth. "Quiet. They might hear us. I'm going to go see what's happening. They're in mom and dad's room. If I'm not back, or if you hear anything, you call the police." He said handing her the portable phone from her nightstand. "Be back soon."  
  
Swiftly, he flew from her room to his parent's door. Putting his ear up to the hard surface, he could hear two mysterious voices and his parents muffled replies.  
  
"Where is it?" one forcefully asked.  
  
"W-What are y-you talking a-about?" Angel asked.  
  
"You know damn well what we're talking about bitch. If you don't tell us where your safe and other valuables are, we are going to kill your children first, then you. And it will be a slow death all around. You don't want to watch your children being tortured now do you?"  
  
Gohan couldn't stand it any more. Flying through the thick wooden door, he landed with the grace of a cat in his parent's room. His father was held at gunpoint, tied up to their desk chair and his mouth gagged. His mother was still in bed, but held down one of the intruders. Both of the men were dressed in black, carrying silver pistols. Everyone was staring at the boy in shock.  
  
Gohan didn't see those stares. He only knew that his parents were in trouble and he had to help them. His anger rose as he took in the surroundings, especially how one of the men held his mother. The intruder was pressing Angel's small frame into the mattress while he towered above her form. Her silk nightgown disarray, showing a bit more than it should have. Seeing red, Gohan prepared to attack because no one messed with anyone he loved, especially his parents.  
  
~*~  
  
Chi-Chi and Goku entered Capsule Corps large ballroom slowly. Goku had shed his usual orange and blue gi, now wearing a black tuxedo. Chi-Chi was also out of her usual dress, now adorned in a floor length red beaded gown. The gown fit her curvy figure, held in place by thin beaded straps.  
  
As soon as they entered the room, the attending Z-senshi rushed to meet the leader of their ensemble and his wife. Bulma, who noticed her fighting friends flock to the new arrivals, quickly pulled Vegeta over to the couple as well. Chi-Chi grabbed her blue-haired friend and pulled her into a quiet corner of the room. Her high cheekbones were flushed with excitement, her eyes danced with happiness.  
  
Bulma quickly took in her friend's appearance and readied herself for the news. The past year had put a strain on their relationship. Bulma's pregnancy and the birth of Trunks had distanced them. For Bulma, the subject of Trunks, as well as his presence, was a constant reminder to her friend about the Son's lost child. She had always felt uncomfortable talking about her own son in front of them. Bulma could still remember Goku and Chi-Chi's reaction to the news of her pregnancy. Both of their eyes were shadowed, thoughts of their dead son haunting them. Since then, Bulma had realized that the death of their son had been harder on them than she could imagine. Just the thought of loosing Trunks made her grow cold.  
  
With the largest smile in on her face for the past five years, Chi-Chi announced her own shocking news. "Bulma, I'm pregnant!"  
  
~*~  
  
Gohan angrily attacked one of the men. Ignoring the gun he brandished, he rushed at him. However, he was stopped dead in his tracks as the intruder pushed it to his father's temple. The other was still pressed up against his mother. His heart plummeted with the realization that both of his parents were endangered.  
  
A creak in the doorway echoed through the silent room, tension thick enough to cut through. Gohan quickly turned, expecting another intruder. To both his relief and dismay, it was his sister. Her dark blue eyes grew with shock at the scene before her. Gohan moved over to her faster than anyone could see. One moment he was standing in the middle of the room, and then he was in front of his sister. Cassandra gasped in surprise at his sudden presence; however, she was reassured by it as well.  
  
Even with his sister behind him, Gohan couldn't help but feel a great deal of apprehension. He knew that no one was safe. Fear, anger, hatred, and a dozen other negative emotions ran through his blood. Gohan could feel something slowly altering in him as he watched the invaders. He didn't know what it was, but he could feel a strange feeling surge through him. It was similar to when he flew, but this time the power was raging though his blood, promising revenge for what was happening to his family.  
  
~*~  
  
Okay, so the angst hasn't quite started, but do you people see where I'm going with this? You should. Anyways, please review and lemme know that you are at least reading this.  
  
~*~  
  
MAILING LIST: Still going, just email me or tell me in your review that you want to be on the list. Plus tell me the email address and story name. For those on it, just let me know if you want removed or didn't get it at all.  
  
~*~  
  
SNEAK PEAK: (I've discovered some people like this)  
  
"As midnight hit, the loud clock rang out the arrival of Christmas day. The room turned silent as the bells rang twelve times. As it ended, Chi- Chi silently raised her glass. Shadows threatened to overtake her eyes as she stared at the shimmering liquid in her glass. "A toast to my son, wherever he may be.""  
  
~*~  
  
"Angrily, he slapped Angel hard. Her head was slammed to the side. Tears slowly slid down her face as she tried to ignore what would happen. It was hopeless. There was nothing they could do. Her eyes locked with her son's, displaying those exact thoughts." 


	7. Chapter 7: Vengeful Angel

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, it characters, or anything in it; nor do I own any other licensed product/item that may appear throughout this fan fiction piece.  
  
WARNING: THE ANGST BEGINS NOW!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
AN: Alright people, sadness and angst can commence. And believe me when I say this, I don't take this lightly. I delve into emotions, expose thoughts, and try to do it in an effective way. You'll see what I mean soon enough. I have comments to make to people who reviewed at the end of the story. Not everyone, but there are some things that need to be said. Thank you all for the great reviews because I truly love the feed back. I like to know just what you guys think. Enjoy this and Please Review!  
  
Chapter 7  
  
"What?!?" Bulma exclaimed loudly. Heads turned their way. Ignoring the crowd's look, Bulma turned to her friend and asked again, in a quieter voice. "What?"  
  
"I'm pregnant! Can you believe it?"  
  
"Wow Chi! Congratulations! I'm so happy for you and Goku. Talking about that Saiyan, where is he? I've got to give him my congratulations as well." With that the two girls headed back to the gathered Z fighters.  
  
Chi-Chi easily slid up beside her husband, who wrapped an arm around her dainty waist in response. Leaning down to his wife's ear, he quietly asked. "Did you tell her?" Chi-Chi only nodded in response. Grinning, he looked up to the remainder of their friends.  
  
Bulma marched up to him, looking rather angry. He was slightly taken aback with her reaction, only to see her grimace split into a large grin. Wrapping her pale arms around her best friend, Bulma pulled him into a tight embrace as she whispered her congratulations. After their exchange, the rest of the fighter's were staring at them curiously.  
  
Letting go of his oldest friend, he wrapped his arms around his wife before he turned back to their friends. "Chi-Chi and I have an announcement we want to make." Noticing that he held all of their attention, he scanned the crowd. Most of them seemed apprehensive, as if he were about to tell them that Frieza was back. Only Vegeta stood, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, with a passive look on his face. Turning back to the rest of his friends, he tightened his embrace on his wife. "I'm going to be a father!" he exclaimed with a brilliant grin on his countenance.  
  
~*~  
  
The intruder holding Angel grinned evilly at the children as he moved closer to their mother. He slowly pressed his body to her's, enjoying the anger that burned in Erik's eyes. Glancing back at the spirited young boy, his feral grin widened. "So boy, what are you going to do? You were going to attack us, right?"  
  
Gohan let loose a feral growl at the intruder, the sound reverberating throughout the room. Cassandra jumped at the sound, its ferocious and animalistic sound promised revenge.  
  
The man began to run his hands down Angel's side and caress her silk covered body. All the while he looked at the boy, his eyes daring Gohan to do something. "What are you going to do boy?" he hissed. "Are you going to beat me up?" he asked mockingly. Squeezing one of Angel's breasts hard, he smirked at the other members of the family.  
  
Erik, Gohan and Cass could see Angel wince in pain as she kept her mouth shut. She refused to give the intruder's pleasure with her pain and suffering. She merely glared at him. Erik was helpless to help her, he could only watch. Cass was shocked; the fact that there were people who would do this amazed her. She was scared stiff, unable to move.  
  
The man continued his assault on Angel's body as he moved his hand lower. and lower. Winking at Gohan, he squeezed her ass hard. "Boy, whacha gonna do? Whacha gonna do when I fuck your mom? Then maybe I'll let my partner have your sister. Or maybe you. Whacha gonna do boy?"  
  
Angel's eyes widened as she heard him. What he did to her was one thing, but what he did to her children was another. With all her might, she struggled to fight him off, hoping to save them all. He merely caught her hands and laughed at her attempts. Freeing one of her legs, she slammed her knee into the man's crotch. Angrily, he slapped Angel hard. Her head was slammed to the side. Tears slowly slid down her face as she tried to ignore what would happen. It was hopeless. There was nothing they could do. Her eyes locked with her son's, displaying those exact thoughts.  
  
Gohan watched the display, rage burning his body. He had heard the man's attempts to frighten him. But the fear he felt was nothing compared to the utter rage that flowed through his veins. The fear wasn't even for himself, but for his family. As his obsidian eyes locked with his mother's midnight blue ones, he could see her loss of hope and the worry she had for them. It was as if she were calling to him to run, to save him and his sister. This was too much for him. The tidal waves of emotion he had been pushing back were too much. He couldn't control it any more.  
  
Cassandra's eyes widened as a wind whipped through the room. Knowing the windows were closed, she couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Slowly she looked towards his brother. His eyes were burning with rage. She quickly realized that somehow her brother was causing the winds. A bluish white aura had surrounded his body, whirling around the room at amazing speeds.  
  
A scream of rage echoed throughout the house, the sound would haunt their dreams for years to come. Full of sorrow, suffering, rage, and anger, the voice was inhuman. However, all could see that it came from the young boy.  
  
Gohan's black hair slowly flickered between its normal dark coloring and a gold color, his eyes doing the same between black and green. His fists were tightly clinched at his sides, as if he were fighting himself, fighting against what was occurring. With a final scream, a flash of light blinded everyone in the room. When the light faded, a golden warrior of vengeance stood where an innocent young boy once stood.  
  
~*~  
  
The entire Z-senshi broke out into smiles as they congratulated the pair. Krillin quickly embraced his friend in a tight, brotherly hug, patting Goku on the back and giving him his congratulations. Yamcha and Tien did the same. Master Roshi's "You dog you" comment was quietly said to the Saiyan. Goku and Chi-Chi beamed with pride, happiness shown through their dark eyes.  
  
Krillin regarded the couple seriously. The death of their first son hit the pair hard. Usual mourning time was prohibited by preparations for the Saiyans, the fight on Namek, and Goku's trip on Yardrat. Then, with the upcoming battle against the androids, the Z fighter's had been training harder than before. All this time, Krillin knew they never got a chance to mourn and accept their son's death. None of the fighter's would speak the boy's name in their presence, nor would they refer to him. The way that Goku announced Chi-Chi's pregnancy slightly disturbed him. "I'm going to be a father" is what he said. But the man had already been a father. Shaking his head, Krillin attempted to clear his mind of those thoughts. It was his best friend, and he was determined to be happy for him no matter what.  
  
After the congratulations died down, the group seated themselves at the table. Toasting with various drinks, the fighters toasted to happiness, success in the battle for the androids, and the newest addition to the Son family. Smiles decorated everyone's face (with the exception of Vegeta through most of this) as they toasted to this. After their toast, the men's talk turned to the upcoming battle where as the girl's began discussing the child.  
  
As midnight hit, the loud clock rang out the arrival of Christmas day. The room turned silent as the bells rang twelve times. As it ended, Chi-Chi silently raised her glass. Shadows threatened to overtake her eyes as she stared at the shimmering liquid in her glass. "A toast to my son, wherever he may be."  
  
Surprise lit the Z-fighter's face as she did that. Goku's eyes shimmered with unshed tears. All lifted their glass to match Chi-Chi's. With a loud cry "To Gohan," the Z-senshi drank to the child they lost. Their first permanent loss. The acknowledgement that everyone is mortal, even with the Dragonballs on Namek and Earth.  
  
~*~  
  
Cassandra moved away from her brother in shock until her back was up against a wall. Falling to her feet, she could only stare at the golden child in front of her. His spiky black hair was now golden blonde and spikier than usual. His usual obsidian eyes were now a swirling sea green, void of any positive emotion. His muscles bulged with the newfound power and a thick gold aura surrounded him, swirling and heating the air that was around them.  
  
Erik and Angel stared at their son with a horrid fascination. Their innocent child now looked like a killer, madness swirled in his unfamiliar eyes. The intruders gasped at the boy's transformation. In a shaky voice, Angel's oppressor attempted to cover up his fear. "W-Whacha-a g-g-gonna do b-boy?"  
  
Gohan merely sneered at the man. He could feel an unimaginable power flow through his veins. Rage and anger made this power flow faster. Rage and anger at the men who dared to harm his family. Baring his teeth, he let loose a low growl.  
  
In a blink of an eye, he had grabbed the man above his mother and held him up against the wall by this throat. His eyes pierced those of the intruder, anger radiating from him. "What did you say?" he asked punctuating every word. "I believe you threatened me and my family." he growled.  
  
The trapped man's accomplice shook out of his stupor as he realized that a mere boy was holding his partner up against the wall, choking him. He watched as the boy slammed his partner's head against the wall. Carefully, he raised his gun, aimed at the boy's head, and fired. The sound echoed through the room.  
  
Everyone looked at where Gohan stood, expecting to see some sort of reaction or else his death. Instead they merely saw him, still holding the man by the throat with one hand, and the other was outstretched. He was miraculously unharmed.  
  
Grinning, a glowing light appeared in his hand. Gohan marveled at the feel of the power he had only accessed by incident. By some instinct, he knew exactly what he was doing. Gathering the power in his hand, he released a beam of light and energy at the other intruder. Everyone watched in horror as the man was enveloped in the light, incinerated by the blast.  
  
Gohan turned back to the other man, the man who had threatened his mother and sister. His threat echoed in his head. His anger rose at the man whose life was literally in his hand. Savagely, Gohan threw a punch at the man's stomach, his hand pushing past the organs and continued out the back of his body. Pulling back, the man fell to the floor as blood poured out of the wound, forming a puddle on the hard wood floor, soaking the oriental rugs. Gohan stepped back a bit and gazed at the man coldly. The intruder crawled onto his knees and began to cough up blood. Blood ran from his nose and mouth as his eyes pleaded with the golden child.  
  
With a growl, he launched 'lighter' attacks at the man, savoring the feel of the merciless beating. Then, fast as light, he tore into him savagely. Gohan's mind merely repeated the intruder's threats, the knowledge of what would happen to his family if he didn't do something. These thoughts blocked out the cries of pain that the man screamed out.  
  
Finally, Gohan was shaken from his stupor as he heard his own mother scream out for him to stop. Looking down, Gohan was shocked to see the intruder, barely recognizable as a man. Blood soaked the floor, the body, and Gohan. Part of him cried out that it was justice, while another part screamed at him for what he had done. He fired a last blast, incinerating the man's bloody remains, leaving no trace of him.  
  
Suddenly, as the truth of what occurred hit him hard, his golden aura was sucked out of him. Sinking to the floor, Gohan stared at his blood-covered hands. Looking up at his parents, shock riddled his face. Shock at what he had done. Shock at what had happened. Once more he looked at his hands, tears collected in his eyes. Gohan slowly raised his head, his wide tearful eyes asking so many questions. Only one escaped the boy's mouth as he broke down. "W-what am I?"  
  
Erik, who had been freed from his bonds, gathered his son into his arms, unable to fully comprehend what had happened. Hugging him tightly, Erik offered all of the support and love he had to his little boy. But his heart tightened, knowing that nothing he could do would erase these moments from his son's consciousness. Angel and Cassandra shook off their fear and joined them in their embrace.  
  
Hearing the small boy's question, Erik held him tighter knowing deep down inside that they may never have an answer for that heartbreaking question. Then again, he couldn't help but think, after the night's events, that ignorance might be for the best.  
  
~*~  
  
::cries:: Oh well, its not like I don't do worse things to him around Chapter 15. ::grinz:: Alright, before I even get the flames, I'm going to explain a few things. Going Super Saiyan is a matter of need, not desire, all fueled with negative emotions. When the person does transform, they are consumed in a battle for their own mind, their own sanity. Now, for those who would say that Gohan would never do this, that he was overly brutal . . . I ask them to look at the Frieza Saga for Goku's actions after transformation. Then, look at Gohan's against Cell after SSJ2. Plain and simple, it is brutal. In truth, this scene should and would have been far more brutal, but I had to keep in mind that it was a human that Gohan was beating, making it much harder because of the power. I started watching DBZ around the Cell saga, so I'm used to SSJ2 power, not SSJ. I also gave you guys warnings of angst, so those types of responses will be ignored.  
  
~*~  
  
MAILING LIST: Do I have to keep repeating this? Leave you email address in the review stating you want to join the mailing list or email me and tell me the story title, your email address, and that you want to join. Simple! Those on it . . . hope you got it, if not, email me and let me know. Wanna get off? Email me and let me know. No problem.  
  
~*~  
  
SNEAK PEAK: (Time moves to right before the Cell Games)  
  
"Goku quickly shook these thoughts from his head. Gohan was gone. There was nothing that could be done about it now. There was no Gohan, there were no maybes. There was only a tombstone and no remains. There was only the Z-fighters and himself. They would have to save Earth. again."  
  
"Cassandra merely stood a bit away from her younger brother. She had never been able to sneak up on him, he had always been so aware. But now he was just an empty shell. Tears collected in her midnight blue eyes as she watched him. No one blamed him, they only thanked him. He had saved them. A haunted hero. a guilty guardian."  
  
~*~  
  
Comments:  
  
REN-CHAN: Thankies twiny! I know you love this story, so do I. lol. But seriously, thanks for always letting me run ideas with you and listening to it. Your suggestions have helped too as well as you pushing me. ::grinz:: And many thanks for the plushie pic!!! I love it so much twiny!  
  
SAMARA-CHAN: I'm glad you like it this much. Hope you continue to enjoy it. About Gohan regaining memories soon . . . well, a lot of people want that, but seriously, I don't know if that will happen. As an adult, not many of us remember the first four years of our life anyways, but I will tell you that the truth does get revealed! No worries about that. As standing right now, He should be moving around Satan City at about chapter 20. I know it sounds like a long time, but that's what it's going to take for it to happen. But I do have a lot of stuff planned.  
  
SUNSHINE066: Thanks for checking it our! Nope, not quite like kidnapped (unless your Chi-Chi when she meets the Daemons . . . But that's not for a bit.) but he does reform his life and all of that. I love your story as well, so now you need to update! lol. As for meeting his real parents, (everyone wants this) you'll have to wait a bit. I have a lot I'm doing and he moves to Satan City at about Chapter 20, then we will see from there.  
  
MYCKY WYNORA CHANNY: Hey girl! Honestly, now what would I kill them for? Sure, angst, but its so much more fun to torture them. ::grinz:: Enjoy this! And I agree, they are good people.  
  
CHIBICHIBI: ::shakes head:: Alright, gonna explain this again. At the age of four, he was given a pair of dog tags that repress the ki signal, making it as if he has no energy signal. Therefore, going SSJ won't do anything for the Z-senshi. Don't worry, they will meet again!  
  
ANDROID 71: Wow! Thanks for that. I'm glad you liked it. And as you can tell now, Gohan didn't slap Angel. I'm not sure if I could have done that. Anyways, thanks for how much you are enjoying this. Hope it continues to please you.  
  
CHAZ: My good old (errr young) charmer. I'm glad that you feel this way. When I write, I picture the events and make myself the characters, thus the extensive description and exploration of emotions. And as always, thanks for the help and support. You are always there for me. I hope you love it even as the worst is to come. ::begins to dance:: My fic is magic, My fic is magic . . . You got me doing that again! Ja'  
  
MYSTIC KINTOUN: Well you can keep on pestering me MK. You just add to my review numbers and give me more inspiration to write. But you know what, I think you're telepathic or something, cuz I'm on chapter 15 and I do have a dream sequence. Not quite what you would think, but you'll see. If you are still reading then. As for pasting to Word, that's no problem, just don't try to pass it off as your own! ::grinz:: I don't think you would do that. Don't die though!!! You gotta keep reviewing! lol. Can't have a reader die cuz of suspense. I didn't leave it on a cliffy this time though! And as for humans and bullets, what did you expect? When you're raised like that, you fear the weapon, but he found in this chapter, ne? You'll see where the bullet does come into play again.  
  
TWEETYBOO: Make him come back??? You mean make him go back home? Heh, you gotta wait!!!!  
  
GOLDEN RAIN: Well, he attacked, ne? lol. I know, Angel and Erik, such a horrible experience only to get worse here. Thanks! I like a CC Ball too, I kinda wanna go . . .  
  
SHADOWSPINNER: I owe you a profuse apology. When I went through to add people to the lists for my four stories, I (for some unknown reason) didn't have yours written down. Well, your own now, and I am so sorry. Also thanks for enjoying the story.  
  
Not everyone, but there were some things needed to be cleared up, and I thank you all for reading and reviewing. The reviews are such a great help. I love them, and please continue to do so. I update about once a week or every five days, all depends, and reviews do have a say in when it happens. Remember, I'm far ahead of the story, so if I get a lot of reviews, I'm always tempted to give you the next chapter sooner!  
  
Ice Angel. 


	8. Chapter 8: Watching and Waiting

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, it characters, or anything in it; nor do I own any other licensed product/item that may appear throughout this fan fiction piece.  
  
AN: Alright, I have a few things to say. I have received my first flame on this story. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I can respect that. However, I don't think you need to "flame all around me." To this anonymous person (who left no sort of name) I thank you for your opinion and see your points. However, if I did that, it would ruin it. Plus, if Goku didn't ask, King Yemma wouldn't tell. And Gohan was no warrior, but a child, so his spirit would have moved on. I don't know the whole what happens to someone dead in the DBZ world, but this is fan fiction. Thus entitling me to do as I wish. I see your side of it, and I respect that.  
  
On a lighter note . . . *YAY* I'm so close to one hundred. Get me over the top and happy, and I'll get the next chapter quick. It is done and ready to go, so do me the favor and tell me what you think. Good or bad, I want to know. But you don't have to be rude about it. I also want to thank Poppy. This story is now located at her site "Before You Could Dream" as well. Also, it seems that someone wants this fic into a contest. ::does a little happy dance:: It was an mm.org person but still. I'm glad so many are enjoying it. I want to hear from you. But enjoy!  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Goku sighed as he lay on the river bank. His blonde hair ruffled in the early morning breeze. In just a few days, the Cell Games would occur, deciding the fate of the world. On the outside, he showed nothing but a calm and confident façade. On the inside, he was a wreck. Even after a year in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, his power couldn't compare to that of Cell's. Vegeta, Trunks and the rest of the Z-fighters were still training, but he just wanted these last days in peace. He couldn't make his wife worry and deep down; he knew that if he didn't win, he wanted his last moments to be with her.  
  
As he lay on the river bank, he allowed him to remember his son. The subject of naming the child Chi-Chi was carrying had come up earlier. One tentative suggestion was to name the boy Gohan in honor of his grandfather as well as their first son. Both Chi-Chi and Goku had adamantly refused, knowing that it would tear them up inside to see their child and call it by a name that belonged to another.  
  
And now, on this particular morning in May, Goku's thoughts were entirely on his first son. Today would have been his tenth birthday. Knowing what the day was, he had left the house early to have a few hours alone before staying his wife. Today was a hard day on them all.  
  
Slowly, Goku reflected on the brief time he shared with his son before he was taken from them. When Gohan was first born, Goku had been so afraid to hold him. He was so small. However, once he had held his son, he never wanted to put him down. Goku was always afraid his son would be hurt in some way.  
  
Reflecting on his son, Goku realized just how much of a crybaby his son had been. Scraping his knee, Gohan was forced to feel the burn of the natural crème Goku would make from leaves. All the while, Gohan would cry.  
  
Yet, behind his crying ways, an immense hidden power lay dormant in his son's body. In the fight against Garlic Jr., his son had been the only person to be able to stand in the power of the Dead Zone. His power had been amazing then, just as it had been when he had crashed through the apple tree. The power had only arisen in the times of desperate need. Whether it was to save his own life or the life of his family, Gohan had gone to extremes in his brief years alive to save them.  
  
If his son were alive today, Goku knew that he would hold unimaginable power. He could only imagine just what he would be like. Factoring Chi- Chi's early refusal for their son to train, Goku knew that Gohan would probably have ended up fighting the Saiyans and maybe even have gone to Namek. He had little doubt that both of them would have been training for the androids and Cell. Maybe Gohan would have had the power to beat Cell. Maybe Gohan would be a Super Saiyan. Maybe Gohan would be the most powerful being on the universe.  
  
Goku quickly shook these thoughts from his head. Gohan was gone. There was nothing that could be done about it now. There was no Gohan, there were no maybes. There was only a tombstone and no remains. There was only the Z-fighters and himself. They would have to save Earth . . . again.  
  
~*~  
  
In the months after their horrible Christmas, the Daemon residence was a vastly changed residence. Gone was the constant laughter and joyous faces of the two children. Angel and Erik had tried with all their might to make things better, but a darkness had inhabited their precious world. And this darkness was all centered on their youngest child.  
  
Since the incident, Gohan had completely closed out all others. He had gone mute and refused to participate in anything. He was often found sitting by the water's edge or by his window just staring out into the open. His obsidian eyes, which had been so full of innocence and happiness, had dulled and shadowed. He was tainted. His innocence had been lost and his happiness faded.  
  
In one moment, in their household, an obvious danger had threatened the livelihood of all he had, his family. And in that moment, he had succumbed to the immense anger and rage he had. Letting it wash over him, he had unleashed a demon. A demon that resided within him.  
  
No matter how much his parents told him that he had done only what he could, he continued to blame himself. Sure, he knew that the two men would have killed or harmed his family in some of the worst ways, but it didn't make up for killing them. His act only made him as bad as the intruders . . . didn't it?  
  
Gohan was caught in a constant stream of confusion. A steady stream of guilt and sadness. He was drowning, with no way to get out. He didn't even know if he wanted to get out.  
  
Now, with the threats of Cell, the Daemon house was haunted much more. For Gohan, Cell stood for all of the things he hated. The things that corrupted and stole his innocence. And now it was threatening their world. Part of Gohan called for him to participate in the Cell Games. It was something deep within him that told him to do it. But the reasoning behind it was hidden deep within his forgotten memories.  
  
Now, just a few days away from the games, the world was panicking. People were fleeing the cities, abandoning homes and businesses, each on the run. Silently, Gohan would watch the news footage and just shake his head at their idiocy. If this Cell creature could destroy the world, which Gohan truly believed would be possible, then what good would it do to run away? You couldn't run from world destruction.  
  
Flicking some dirt off of his arm, Gohan continued to stare out into the water. The mirror like surface glistened in the sun; the reflections making it look like glass. Hesitantly, the boy looked over the edge, and in the first time in months, forced himself to look his reflection.  
  
His hair was a mess of untamable black spikes, a band holding back the long locks of hair he now possessed. His cheeks were gaunt and his eyes shadowed. He knew his frame was now less muscular and his figure thin. He had ceased eating his large meals. Now, as a sort of self punishment, he only consumed a small amount of food daily. His muscles were weak and his eyes were dull. He looked like death warmed over.  
  
This reflection shocked him. He hadn't looked into a mirror for months, afraid of seeing the monster within him. He had locked himself away from all he loved; afraid he would only hurt them. He was so ashamed and horrified by his own actions that he couldn't bare to look at his family, much less speak to them. He didn't feel as if he deserved them. Thus, he kept away, locking himself from them.  
  
Now, he saw what he had become. Gone was the happy boy he had been. His heart longed for that innocence and happiness. Slowly, in the past few weeks, he had come to the conclusion that what he was doing to himself, for the sake of his family, was actually hurting his parents and sister rather than helping them. Each of his family members lacked sleep and barely spoke. Concern for him was taking up their lives, draining away their own hopes and dreams.  
  
Gohan was now on the brink of recovery. He had begun to accept what he had done. He knew that he had done it in order to save his family and maybe another family that would have been preyed upon later. Now, he had to gain forgiveness from others as well as himself.  
  
So immersed in his thoughts, Gohan failed to sense his sister's approach. Cassandra merely stood a bit away from her younger brother. She had never been able to sneak up on him, he had always been so aware. But now he was just an empty shell. Tears collected in her midnight blue eyes as she watched him. No one blamed him, they only thanked him. He had saved them. A haunted hero . . . a guilty guardian.  
  
He refused to speak her, to their parents, to anyone. She loved him so much. It didn't matter to her that they weren't blood relation. He was her brother, and nothing could change that. She would admit that she had been afraid at first, watching him transform into a golden fighter. But she also felt the power he possessed. She couldn't sense it like her brother could, but she could feel it. How it had radiated from him. There was so much mystery in her brother, and with the way he was going, no one would ever be able to unlock those mysteries. As much as her parents wanted to deny it, she had known. He was slowly killing himself.  
  
Silently, she wiped a tear from her cheek as she turned to leave him. Taking a last look at him, she turned and walked into the house. The world may have been preparing itself for Cell, but her family couldn't care less. The threat of their family was much greater than that of the threats of the world.  
  
Deep down, she knew that a savior would appear for the world, Mr. Satan or not, but vaguely, Cassandra had to wonder if a savior would appear for her brother.  
  
~*~  
  
Sorry so short people, but I just wanted everyone to get a look into what has happened. The next chapter takes us to the actual Cell games, which will stem over two chapters. Again, sorry about how short it is, but I need you guys to understand the positions of the characters.  
  
~*~  
  
MAILING LIST: Leave your email address, the title of the story, and tell me you want on the list in a review or email. That's all you have to do to get on.  
  
~*~  
  
SNEAK PEAK:  
  
"Fingering the tags, Gohan couldn't help but wonder if this was his family. There had always been a near impossible chance that he would find his original family, but there was a man who may have been able to answer questions and he didn't have a name or anything. Lowering his head, Gohan couldn't watch the fight any longer. It was haunting him."  
  
"Goku merely looked Cell straight into the eye. His last technique had failed. He was finally without a reserve, without a plan. His energy was gone; the Kamehameha wave took it all. With all of his attempts, Cell had merely regenerated. It was useless. After so many years of defending the Planet Earth, a being who was inspired by a man's hate and need for revenge against him would wipe Earth from existence. Guilt weighed heavily upon his heart." 


	9. Chapter 9: Battle Stratagies

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, it characters, or anything in it; nor do I own any other licensed product/item that may appear throughout this fan fiction piece.  
  
AN: As promised, with the flood of reviews at a decent speed, I'm giving you a chapter in a shorter time. A number of you are asking why I don't post all the chapters I have written; well the answer is pretty simple. If I were to post them all now, 1) I wouldn't get the amount of reviews I would if I wait. 2) You would have to wait longer for updates while I got my bearings straight and kept going. 3) I'm just plain mean. ^_^  
  
A few more questions have been asked. Age is one of them. I have the timeline from the anime from the DBZGT Legacy website, which is an official one. So thanks to go them. Gohan was born in May of 757 and the Cell Games occur on May 26, 767. This would make him ten. Add in the months of the Room of Spirit and Time, and he was eleven when he defeated Cell. Now, in my story there are a few changes you would have to make. In Goku's reflection, he stated tenth birthday because he was going by years, not thinking if he had been in the chamber with him. And a very important thing for you to remember is that when I speak of Gohan's age (as in alive not memories) I base it off of the thought that his birthday is celebrated on October 12th. The day he was found (and the estimate that he was four). I know it's complicated, but should you have any questions, email me, instant message me, or ask in reviews. I have a timeline of this story written out so I can keep track of it myself. [Thank you Android 71 for pointing out that I should explain this. Don't worry, I never would have taken the age thing as a flame.]  
  
Long AN today huh? A lot of you have talked about him appearing in the Cell games. If you noticed, my summary changed and by calculation you realize he doesn't show up. This was a very hard thing for me to do, but in reality would you, a nine year old child, go off in the face of battle? Especially one as depressed and mentally shaken as this one? The answer is no. As much as I would have loved to have him go (the Cell Saga is my favorite) I'm afraid he won't make an appearance. But the Cell Games to play a large role in this. You'll see why. For those who don't know my writing style, I like to take things from earlier chapters and bring them into the later ones. Please remember, the Cell games were televised! ^_^ Enjoy!  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter 9  
  
All around the globe, families and friends gathered around their television sets to watch the outcome of the battle for Earth. For the most part, people of Earth were ignorant to off world threats or any other sort of battle for the planets future. However, one reporter had gone to cover the event, relaying the battle to those everywhere.  
  
For the Z-senshi, it was another day working to save the world. For their loved ones, it was another battle to worry through. For the world, it was a day of reckoning.  
  
The Daemons gathered around their television that day to watch the battle as well. No one was really into the battle, but merely going through the motions. It was a broken home, a broken family. Angel and Erik were curled up on one end of the couch, while Cassandra sat at the other end. This young girl's attention was not on the television, but on her brother. He was seated on the floor in front of her, leaning against the couch. Gohan was watching the battle, only Cassandra knew he saw more in this battle than anyone.  
  
He hadn't spoken, but she had been able to notice some improvement in his coloration. She always noticed things like this in her brother. Just now, he was watching the TV steadily, but it was like there was something more to it. Turning her attention back to the screen, she couldn't help but smile a bit as she watched Mr. Satan's students attempt to fight. She was trained in the martial arts and knew that those two couldn't compare. The fact that she could sense Cell's strange energy from the couch only confirmed the fact that these guys would be unable to do a thing.  
  
Gohan merely stared at the two fools as they attempted strange attacks, each disposed of with ease. His own senses told him more than his sister's. He knew that Cell could beat anyone there, only a few would have the ability to compare to him. These powers belonged to three of the "mysterious group of fighters." Surveying the group, Gohan felt something as he studied a few of the men. The blonde fighter, the bald man, and the green man seemed familiar. But he would remember a green man, wouldn't he?  
  
Chewing on his lip, Gohan stifled a laugh as he surveyed Hercule's defeat. The champion of the world had fallen with a swat of the hand. As one of the mysterious fighters took the ring, Gohan searched his family's expressions. His father was surveying fighting styles and comparing technique as usual. His mother was pensively watching while eyeing him in the corner of her eye. Meeting each other's gaze, she gave him a tentative smile. For the first time in months, Angel watched as her son gave a very small smile as well. Her face brightened immediately while she internally resisted the overwhelming desire to hug him tightly.  
  
Turning his attention back to the blonde fighter, Gohan noticed so many similarities. The fighting techniques, speed, strength all displayed were nothing compared to what he saw at normal competitions. As the mysterious man began to glow a bright gold, Gohan was swept down into memory lane. He remembered that fateful night . . . shivering he pulled himself from the dark and dismal world of his own memories.  
  
Cassandra, who noticed his shaking, leaned down, wrapping her arms around her brother's neck and placing her chin on the crook of his neck. Lying there, she softly whispered comforting words. Mentally, she winced as her brother flinched from her touch. However, the grateful look he sent her made up for that infraction. Without removing herself from her brother, she shifted to lay down before turning her attention back to the television.  
  
Cell seemed to be speaking to the mysterious golden fighter. They spoke so quietly the reception was lost. Erik, Angel, and Cassandra couldn't help but compare the similarities between the fighter on screen to Gohan. Both had golden hair, green eyes, golden light, and had used similar light/energy attacks. The only thing was that the man on screen had always been that way, whereas Gohan had transformed. Each had their own worries of revelation . . . could this be his lost family?  
  
Gohan was also thinking of this. The man on television seemed so familiar. Bringing his hand up to his dog tags, Gohan clutched them tightly. He never removed those tags. They were his only link to his true past. As much as he had accepted his new family, he couldn't help but think of his origin. He knew of how he had been found as well as his oddities. He had seen the strange pod Erik had found him in. They had kept it in a building deeper into the woods.  
  
Fingering the tags, Gohan couldn't help but wonder if this was his family. There had always been a near impossible chance that he would find his original family, but there was a man who may have been able to answer questions and he didn't have a name or anything. Lowering his head, Gohan couldn't bear to watch the fight any longer. It was haunting him.  
  
Who was he?  
  
What was he?  
  
Why was he not with his true family?  
  
How did he really get there?  
  
Where did he belong?  
  
All questions without answers. Without them, Gohan felt lost. Sighing, Gohan pushed these thoughts from his head and watched as a single silver tear fell to the hard wooden floor.  
  
~*~  
  
"What's the matter Goku? I am a perfect being. You were a fool to think you could compare to me."  
  
Goku merely looked Cell straight into the eye. His last technique had failed. He was finally without a reserve, without a plan. His energy was gone; the Kamehameha wave took it all. With all of his attempts, Cell had merely regenerated. It was useless. After so many years of defending the Planet Earth, a being who was inspired by a man's hate and need for revenge against him would wipe Earth from existence. Guilt weighed heavily upon his heart. He could have continued training in the Room of Spirit and Time (or Hyperbolic Time Chamber if you prefer) or actually worked outside. But now it was too late, the world would end as would his, his family and friend's, and billions of other's lives would end. All was lost.  
  
Ignorant to Goku's inner thoughts, Cell continued to taunt him. "Now you will die. You and your friends and your family and every other person on this retched planet will die. And no one can stop me. I am the perfect being!!!" he exclaimed with an evil cackle.  
  
Up on a cliffside, not far from the battle field, Piccolo hung his head. "It is over." He announced. "Son has nothing left to give. Cell has won." Even after his merge with Kami, he couldn't stand up to Cell. No one could.  
  
The rest of the group seemed to acknowledge the truth, each with thoughts running through their head.  
  
Krillin merely regretted all he had never had . . . including a serious girlfriend. His life had centered around Earth and now, after everything they had done for the planet, it would end with the strong opponent no one could battle evenly with.  
  
Yamcha and Tien had similar thoughts as Krillin. So many regrets and memories ran through their heads. They had also sacrificed their lives for the planet before, and yet, they could do nothing this time around. It was the end.  
  
Mirai Trunks merely looked at the ground in shame. He couldn't save his own timeline, his best friend in either timeline, and now, he couldn't save this timeline. He was a failure. He was unable to do a thing. And now, both this world and his own world would be destroyed. His mother would never know what had happened and the Androids would continue to destroy his own world. It was over.  
  
Vegeta stood perfectly still. He had died before, he had been tortured and tormented, and he had destroyed a number of planets without thought. But now, it was happening here, and he couldn't do any thing about it. 'Damn you Kakarott! You have always been ahead of me and even you can't defeat this monster.' A brief thought crossed his mind of a blue haired woman and a lavender haired child. He had a family . . . in blood. Silently, he hoped that he could have another chance, a chance to be happy and live the life he had been denied when with Frieza. All the coldness and darkness within him had been illuminated by the 'onna' and the 'brat.' But second chances weren't given to the evil ones, it wasn't given at all.  
  
Vegeta's eyes wandered over his son from the future. So much of his mother, but so much of him. For the first time, Vegeta accepted him. The boy had traveled across dimensions to save them, to see them. He had come from a world of pure darkness and hatred, yet was not ruined. Vegeta was proud, proud of his life, and proud of his son.  
  
As if feeling this, Mirai Trunks looked as his father to take in his own last look. He had only heard of Vegeta in stories told by Gohan or Bulma. Both were so reluctant to speak of any of the Z-senshi. But Trunks understood that. For he couldn't think, much less speak, of Gohan without feeling the guilt, sadness, and emptiness he experienced when he found the bloody body on that rainy night. Meeting his father square in the eye, it was like he was looking through a window at his father's soul. He could see the shadows and pain his father possessed, the loneliness and the pride, but deep down, he could see the light, the life. His father was proud . . . proud of him.  
  
Goku merely kept his eyes to the ground. He couldn't face those he had failed. However, Cell's mocking voice was able to reach his ears and pierce through the thoughts and emotions Goku was living at the moment.  
  
"Tell me, Goku. How does it feel to know that all you hold dear will be destroyed? Perhaps I should keep you alive . . . the sole survivor of this planet. Left alone to know that everything you hold dear is gone. Tell me, Goku. Do you have a wife? A child? A family? Yes, I think you do. And what about friends? How does it feel to know that they will die by my hands? At the hands of the one you could not defeat?"  
  
These words were like attacks themselves. Each one dealing a blow to Goku's heart and soul. His life was centered on saving the universe and working to protect the defenseless.  
  
"And then, when I'm done with Earth, I will move on and destroy other worlds. other galaxies . . . I am the universe's end!" he declared with zest.  
  
Something deep within Goku snapped at these words. His death would not be in vain. No, he had to battle until the end. He would not give up. So many people were counting on him. The fate of the universe was in his hands. Faces flashed before his eyes. Bulma, Yamcha, Krillin, Master Roshi, Lunch, Tien, Choutzu, Piccolo, Vegeta, Mirai Trunks, Chibi Trunks, Dende, Mr. Popo, Ox King, Grandpa Gohan, Korin, Yajarobie. All of them flashed before his eyes so quickly. His friends, his family. Then, slower, Chi-Chi's face appeared, so radiant and happy on their wedding day, so happy with the news of pregnancy, so full of love. His wife. Then, a blank picture containing a signal of the child within Chi-Chi. The child on the way. His son, his child, his future. And finally, Gohan appeared. As a tiny baby in his larger hands, just learning to walk, crying over a scratch, safe from the apple tree, exhausted from defeating Garlic Jr., clinging to a branch by the waterfall, playing with Turtle and a crab . . . His first son, his first hope, his lost life.  
  
Anger and rage at so many things poured into him. Anger at his helplessness against Cell, frustration against defeat, rage about his first son, and so many more things combined and flooded his blood. His rage was plain on his face as he unleashed a yell to the highest heavens. Grief and rage boiled within him, unleashing something untouched . . .  
  
Lights flashed around his body as his energy level soared. His anger in life fueling his desire to win, his desire for revenge. Dust cleared, revealing a stern and darkened face of Goku, Earth's defender. His hair was a solid gold, spiked higher and longer than before. Lightening bolts of energy sparked around him. His green eyes, void of any positive emotion, were dark with hatred. Anger and hatred from so many things in life, all focused on one thing.  
  
Cell.  
  
~*~  
  
Sorry about how out of character Vegeta is, but in the Cell Saga, he does have an epiphany about his life (when Trunks is killed). But without Gohan, things change, so when he figures they are all going to die, his epiphany comes.  
  
Alright, I have to address this again. So many of you are anticipating the reunion between Gohan and his biological parents. I am very happy to hear the enthusiasm over this story, but I am going to clarify this. As my summary says, they meet up 13 yrs later, making him high school aged. Okay? By my count, he should be at that age around chapter 20. So if you can't tell, there are some major things happening between these times. This story is going to be a long one. Hope you guys are in for the long haul, but don't worry, I don't think it gets too boring. Please Review and tell me somethn! Let me know your opinions!  
  
~*~  
  
MAILING LIST: As I've said for the past eight chapters, send me an email or tell me in your review that you want to join the WDIB Update list. Make sure you give me your email address Minna-san!  
  
~*~  
  
SNEAK PEAK: (Should I keep doing this or leave you people in the dark?) Lots of stuff happen!!!! The Cell Games end, the Dragonballs are used, the credit is give (or taken) and healing ensues.  
  
"Sighing, he laid down on the cool grass. At that moment, he felt so small in the world. His problems, his life, his very existence was so small in comparison to those of the universe. He was merely one person, one being on the planet. And for a moment, the world he knew could have been destroyed."  
  
"'It's been six years, Chi-Chi. We have to move on. As much as we wish it weren't true, our little boy is gone. He's never coming back. We've kept his memory alive for so long, its time to let him live in peace. I know this sounds so hard, Chi. I miss him as much as you do, but we can't keep ourselves haunted by him. He would have wanted us to be happy, to move on.'" 


	10. Chapter 10: Letting Go

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, it characters, or anything in it; nor do I own any other licensed product/item that may appear throughout this fan fiction piece.  
  
AN: ::sniff sniff:: You guys are too much. lol. Your reviews have been great! I would have had this up earlier, but ff.net closed down in respect of 9-11. Then, when it reopened, I was about to leave. So now, after a 300-mile drive to come back home for my brother's wedding, I'm updating this. Anyway, how about leaving me some good stuff to return too!!!!  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter 10  
  
The Earth shook, the currents raced, the people fell to their knees. Televisions cut out as the world fell into darkness and ignorance to the occurrences in the dry desert where the Cell Games continued.  
  
Gohan jumped up from his seat on the floor as Cass was flung from his neck. His eyes were wide and his body trembling. Cass scrambled from the couch and stood beside her brother. The two nine year olds were in shock. They could feel a power level skyrocketing. It was going higher and higher, as if it had no end.  
  
Gohan could feel this better then his sister, but the fact that she also felt it was stunning. Gohan was sure that it had far surpassed that of Cell. Sighing, the two seated themselves, huddled together. Gohan's eyes were still in shock. The fact that a person could contain that much power was mind boggling.  
  
Angel and Erik were shocked, not because of the power level, but because they had just witnessed the most animation from their son they had seen since before the incident. He had shown feeling; he had actually acted on an emotion. Joy was all they felt, ignoring the world, they just took in the fact that their son could be recovering.  
  
Without the television, everyone on earth was in the dark about what was going on. However, with Gohan's advanced skill, he was able to keep track of what was occurring, for the most part. He was able to feel one power signal finally taper off, but it was as if there was more power possible. It dwarfed Cells and all others around it.  
  
Closing his eyes, Gohan concentrated on the power levels there. He felt as the highest one rose with attacks and defense. He felt Cell's lower with each attack, slowly loosing the battle. And then, with a final and extreme rise in one power level, Cell's signal was lost forever as the battle for the fate of the world was over.  
  
"It is done." He whispered his eyes still on the floor.  
  
~*~  
  
'Damn you Kakarott! You have surpassed me again! Why is it that you, a third class baka of a Saiyan, are stronger than me, the Prince of all Saiyans!!!' Vegeta thought as he watched an extremely large ki blast incinerate Cell, destroying the imperfect form of the monster. He was gone. It was over.  
  
Hanging his head, Vegeta thought of his arch rival. His family, friends and general caring for the world and its well being had always motivated Goku. While he merely worked to surpass Kakarott and claim the title of the strongest. All of his reasons were selfish while Kakarott merely worked to protect those he loved. Perhaps that was the key. Sighing, Vegeta knew he had much to think about.  
  
Wordlessly, he nodded at his fellow Saiyan before placing his hand on his son's shoulder. Levitating, he waited for Mirai Trunks to follow before shooting off to Capsule Corp. The group could handle everything else.  
  
Piccolo gave a curt nod at Goku before taking off into the sky, headed for Kami, now Dende's, Lookout. The remainder of the Z-senshi ran straight for their friend. After a brief exchange, Krillin picked up the unconscious Android 18, who had been spat out of Cell after a hard hit to the stomach by Goku. Linking together, Goku brought his hand to his head and instant transmission'ed the group to Dende's Lookout. It was time to undo the damage Cell had done.  
  
~*~  
  
"Huh??? What???" A disheveled and confused Hercule said as he awoke from his unconscious state. The last thing he remembered was an explosion of golden light and high winds throwing him and the rest of his group away from the fight. Now, looking around, Hercule was stunned to find that no one was around.  
  
A few feet away, the reporter slowly sat up from the debris. He also looked around, only to find the mysterious fighters missing and only Hercule standing. "Hercule, What happened???"  
  
Dazed, Hercule attempted to recall the events. What had happened to Cell? Had the golden fighter won? Fumbling for words, Hercule attempted to think of something to say.  
  
"Yeah, what happened?" Another fighter asked.  
  
"What if I told you I defeated Cell?" Hercule asked, nervousness riddled his face.  
  
"You?" the reporter stammered. The cameraman merely shook his head before noticing that they could still broadcast. Yelling this to his boss, the reporter became formal again. "Did you really defeat Cell?"  
  
Mr. Satan's red-haired spokeswoman quickly stepped in. "Of course he did! Hercule is the best!"  
  
Quickly agreeing, Hercule told them of his easy defeat of Cell. The monster had been taken down with a simple move. The mysterious fighters had merely thanked him and left. Posing, Hercule flashed a victory sign at the now rolling camera. This footage aired globally, declaring Hercule as the strongest man alive and Cell defeated.  
  
~*~  
  
Gohan merely growled at the image of the afro-haired man. How could such a weakling take credit for defeating Cell? Surely no one would believe him. Cass placed a hand on his arm, bring his attention to his family.  
  
Cass merely chuckled at her brother. Sometimes the boy was more animal than human. "I take it you don't believe him?" she asked, knowing the truth.  
  
Gohan let loose another deep growl. "Of course not. That bakayaro just took the credit of that mysterious golden warrior." He suddenly noticed how he had every ones attention. His mother was glaring at him. "Gomen- nasai 'Kassan." He murmured quietly. Her gaze eased up quickly and gestured for him to continue. "Somehow, that mysterious man's signal grew really big overshadowing everyone on this planet, including Cell. After a little bit, he destroyed Cell. Not Hercule."  
  
Erik chuckled a bit at his son. No one was going to point out the fact that he was talking. They didn't want him to fall silent again. Even if his voice was rough and scratchy, it was music to their ears. He knew that his son had some strange abilities, including reading someone's fighting power and potential. It was amazing, but it was true. So, out of everyone there, he was bound to know the most.  
  
Angel merely kept her eye on her son. He was looking a bit better and he was speaking. Oh how she had missed his melodious voice. Sure, it wasn't like before. His vocal cords hadn't been used for months. But it was the most beautiful sound she had heard, just knowing that everything would be okay.  
  
Cass merely shook her head at her family's antics. "Think anyone will believe him, Go?"  
  
Gohan merely nodded his head. Looking at her with a small sparkle in his eye, he spoke. "Probably." Dropping his voice down to a whisper, he continued. "They're too dumb to think otherwise."  
  
She let a small laugh escape her lips before looking at her brother. Meeting eye to eye, she could see that it was like a candle had been lit. The healing had begun. Now it would just take time. It didn't matter how long it would take, just as long as she got her baby brother back.  
  
~*~  
  
With a flash of light, seven golden orbs shot off into the dark sky. A group of fighters stood silently upon Dende's Lookout, watching as the dragonballs scattered themselves around the globe where they would become inactivate for a year.  
  
All of Cell's victims had been returned to life and the androids bombs removed. With the wishes made and everyone healed, it was time to depart. Each fighters headed in their own directions, back to the life they had. They would meet again the next day at Capsule Corps to celebrate their victory and say goodbye to Mirai Trunks.  
  
Goku headed back to his mountainous home and his wife, anticipating the time he could have with her. The world was safe again. However, he pushed his anticipation away. He had something he needed to do, something to think over. Swooping over the treetops, Goku finally arrived at his destination.  
  
Kneeling down in front of a stone memorial, Goku dusted off the little debris that had gathered upon his son's monument. Gently, he traced the words inscribed in the white marble, burning the inscription into his mind. Sitting by the gravestone, Goku rested his arm on its cold surface and fell into deep thought.  
  
As dusk fell, Goku was startled out of his reverie as a bright red apple fell in front of him. With a shadow of a smile, he picked up the piece of fruit and stood up. With a silent farewell, he powered up and flew home. He knew what he had to do . . . now he just had to do it.  
  
~*~  
  
Sitting by the lake, Gohan stared up at the quarter moon. He had never really taken time to look up at the moon. He had always taken it for granted, just as he had taken everything in his life. But today, the Earth was almost lost. He knew this more than anyone else. He had been able to feel Cell's amazing power as well as the powers of the planet's defenders. None of them had compared, until something had occurred. He still didn't know what, but one power had exploded, soaring past anything on the planet, including Cell.  
  
Sighing, he laid down on the cool grass. At that moment, he felt so small in the world. His problems, his life, his very existence was so small in comparison to those of the universe. He was merely one person, one being on the planet. And for a moment, the world he knew could have been destroyed.  
  
The moon's white light reflected against the lakes surface, playing with the shadows of the night. Gohan's tail unwound itself from his waist and curled up around his leg. The end twitched back and forth in an almost hypnotizing manner. Staring at the moon sent a tingle down the furry appendage.  
  
Stepping out of the shadows, Cassandra headed over to her adoptive brother. Lying next to him, she followed his gaze to the night's sky.  
  
"It's so big." he murmured, lost in his own thoughts.  
  
"Yeah, it is." Cassandra said as she closed her eyes.  
  
Together the two children fell asleep in the light of the moon as the night's shadows played around them.  
  
~*~  
  
Silently, Goku entered his dark mountain home. A single light came from the mantle of the fireplace, where a lone candle burned. For every year after Gohan's death, the Sons lit a candle in memory of their son for the week of his birth. The flame of the white candle flickered wildly in the breeze that Goku's entrance created.  
  
Upon the mantle sat two pictures, a hat, a small silk pillow, and the flickering candle. The dull glow displayed the happy face of a four year old Gohan dressed in his Japanese style clothes and hat, complete with the four star dragonball. A bright grin played upon his youthful face as he smiled at something long since forgotten. The second picture displayed the entire Son family, each one's face full of love and happiness. Each of these pictures were on one side of the candle. Beside the picture of Gohan alone, the hat that he had worn so often lay. On the other side, in between the candle and the family photo, sat the pillow, which had held the four star dragonball until they had needed it for the wishes after the Cell games.  
  
Slender arms wrapped round Goku's muscular body as he stood in front of the mantle. Inhaling deeply, he turned to look at his wife. Her ebony hair hung long and loose, off setting the long white silk nightgown she wore. Pulling her to him, he buried his head into her hair, breathing in her scent.  
  
Pulling away from her, he looked deeply into her obsidian eyes, eyes that were once so bright and innocent, now shadowed by pain and loss. Both of them turned their attention back to the memorial upon the mantle. Wrapping his arms around his wife, he spoke gently into her ear. He had made his decisions, now he had to commit to them.  
  
"It's been six years, Chi-Chi. We have to move on. As much as we wish it weren't true, our little boy is gone. He's never coming back. We've kept his memory alive for so long, its time to let him live in peace. I know this sounds so hard, Chi. I miss him as much as you do, but we can't keep ourselves haunted by him. He would have wanted us to be happy, to move on."  
  
Swallowing back his own sobs, he gently continued. "He helped me today. He was the one who truly beat Cell. Cell almost destroyed us today, he almost won. I couldn't help but think of all that we've done to save Earth and how it still wasn't enough. We still weren't strong enough. I thought of how I hadn't been there for my son. How Gohan was taken from us so soon. He never really had a chance to live. And with his memory, I ascended and was able to beat Cell. If not for Gohan, the Earth and everything we know would be gone." Soothingly, Goku traced small circles on his wife's back as she let her tears fall.  
  
"That was his final gift to us, his final message to move on. We don't have to forget about him, but we don't have to keep reminding ourselves of what we lost. We have to look towards the future." Gently, he placed his large palm onto Chi-Chi's rounded abdomen. "This is the future, Chi. This child that you carry is our future. We have to cherish it, not take it for granted like we did with Gohan. We have to savor every moment together and value every day as a family because we won't know when it could be taken away. So we must move on . . . move towards the future. Not only for ourselves, but for our sons, both of them."  
  
Slowly, his hand left her abdomen and to her face. Tilting her head up towards him, he gazed into her dark eyes, silently asking her to agree. Chi-Chi merely nodded her head slowly. Letting go of his wife, he looked once more into those haunting pictures. Gently tracing over his dead son's face, tears gathered into his eyes. Chi-Chi leaned against him as she attempted to choke back her sobs.  
  
Closing his eyes, he made his own mental imprint of his son. "Goodbye my son, we will always love you." he said softly. With a final caress to the picture's glass surface, he moved his hand to the candle. The room fell into darkness as his two fingers extinguished the golden flame of the candle forever.  
  
~*~  
  
I can't keep people grieving forever. It gets old. There are a lot of recurring themes in this story, but I had to have Goku and Chi-Chi move on. Everyone does. I also apologize for the major OOC'ness of Goku, but I honestly don't believe he is as dumb as most portray him to be. He's naïve and innocent, but he can't be too dumb. So, I had to make him smarter, this speech could only be given by Goku. Also, plenty of fics about Gohan disappearing or dying don't go into Goku's grief and reaction. I may not deal too much with Chi-Chi, but I try to give a glimpse into everyone, especially Goku. It was his first son, and for a while, his only son. I hope you guys liked this.  
  
Now I'm off to home and watch as my eldest brother gets married. So please, Review and make me happy when I get back!!!! All these days with not getting on the net is gonna kill me, so let's see some good stuff when I get back? K?????  
  
~*~  
  
MAILING LIST: You guys know the drill yet? Email me or tell me in a review! Give me your email address and tell me to add you to the WDIB update list! Make sure you tell me the story name!!!!!  
  
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ADVERTISEMENT: I ASK THAT YOU ALL READ THIS KICK ASS FIC!!!!!  
  
BLINDED: By dragonscales. An angsty Gohan fic where our dear demi-saiyan looses his vision due to the backlash of the ki blast from the end of the Cell Games. It is very well written and she updates frequently. It is soooo good. He has to cope with his loss and everything. I mean, he's a martial artist. He has no vision. ::sniff sniff:: It is sooo good. I can't summarize it very well, but it is very good, so go and read and review it. It deserves so many more reviews than it has.  
  
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SNEAK PEAK: This is a chapter that's hard to find good clips from unless I give you a lot so you're only gonna get one. But the chapter does say goodbye to Trunks! And hello to a new baby boy! . . . And a therapeutic talk between siblings..  
  
"Cassandra merely smiled at him before her face turned serious again. "Hey Gohan, I was wondering, who do you think those guys were at the Cell Games?""  
  
"'I don't know who they were, so I can't find them and ask them. But if they are my family, why am I here and not with them?'"  
  
Could this be the end of Gohan's eternal suffering? Well, it wouldn't be eternal then, now would it??? 


	11. Chapter 11: Moving On

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, it characters, or anything in it; nor do I own any other licensed product/item that may appear throughout this fan fiction piece.  
  
AN: ::runs to a corner and hides before yelling:: SORRY!!!!!!!!! READ NOW, THEN I'LL EXPLAIN . . .  
  
Chapter 11  
  
A faint smile played upon his face as he glanced around him. Brushing a stray strand of fine lavender hair out of his face, Trunks prepared to say his goodbyes. In this world, peace had been won for the world. Sitting there made him want to remain in their time, away from the worries of the Androids of his time. But it was about time that his world had peace. And now, he had the power to deliver it to the people of Earth in his own time.  
  
Glancing about the room, he viewed the people that his own sensei had known and lost. The people who had shaped the Gohan he knew. Things were so different here. Here Piccolo lacked the side he had only shown Gohan. The side that his mother had told him about. Here, there was no little boy running around stirring up a bit of trouble and being forced to study. Here, his sensei was dead. Here, no one knew the great man he had grown to admire so much. Here, the one man who had lived through the androids had died. And here, the ones who should and would have died, lived on.  
  
Goku was everything his mother had said. A brave, outstanding man, tinged with an eternal innocence. A brilliant fighter and a dear friend. He was everything his mother had said and more. But deep in his eyes, there was a shadow, a haunting, that plagued him. Trunks could only attribute this to loosing Gohan. He could certainly relate.  
  
Blinking back any tears that might have surfaced, Trunks tried to think of something other than his dead master. Yet, this world just wasn't the same. When he had come to the past to help, he had done it, not only for a chance to alter the death and destruction, but to see his best friend before the darkness had come into play. His heart ached with the thought of Gohan. Oh how he wished he could see him again, to hear the deep timbre of his voice and the rich music of his laugh.  
  
Shaking these thoughts from his head, he moved to follow the Bulma of this time to his uncapsulated time machine. Exchanging the final goodbyes and good wishes with the men of the past, he made his way to his machine. A simple two-finger salute from the father he never knew, a steady hug from the mother he did, a firm handshake from the man his mentor had loved so much and nods from the rest.  
  
Seating himself into his machine, he moved to the control panel to prepare for launch. With a final wave to those of the past, he headed back to the future, back to his life, back to the androids. He now had the power to win, the power to avenge so many people's deaths. It was time. He had made a world where the destruction had never occurred, a time where the original savior lived. His job there was done, but he would never forget the men who had shaped Gohan and Bulma's life, and in turn, who had shaped his own.  
  
~*~  
  
Small series of beeps echoed through the room. The smell of disinfectant was strong in the air and a rush of noises was blocked out by a tightly closed door. Within the small room, a single figure lay silently. Her soft breathing permeated the silence of the room, displaying that she was asleep. Her dark hair was fanned out beneath her as she lay on the hospital bed.  
  
A loud squeak echoed through the room as a hulking figure slipped through the doorway, cuddling a small bundle close. Silently, he seated himself beside the woman in bed and began to study his bundle closely.  
  
Tucking a stray strand of ebony hair behind the woman's ear, he studied her as well. "Chi-Chi," he whispered. "Chi-Chi," he said with a bit more force.  
  
A pair of onyx eyes fluttered open at the sound of her name. "Goku?" she questioned. Upon seeing his famous grin, she gave a small smile to her husband. "Where is he?"  
  
"Right here." he stated as he seated himself on her bed, showing her their new son.  
  
Chi-Chi merely gasped at the site. Out of everything she had expected, this was far from it. Snuggled in the soft blue blanket was a spiky haired baby boy sucking on a tawny brown tail. He was a mirror image of his father. The hair, the eyes, the face. everything. He looked just like Goku.  
  
Looking up at her husband, she flashed a brilliant smile at him. "He looks just like you." she said with a slight laugh. "Let's hope he doesn't eat like you!"  
  
Goku laughed heartily at his wife's joke. Smiling softly, he handed their son to her and watched as she held him close. "I was thinking. We never picked out a name."  
  
Chi-Chi's full attention was on her husband at these words. Choosing a name had been impossible. With Gohan, they had waited for a while before naming him, and Gohan had virtually chosen his own name. Nodding at him to continue, she awaited a name from the husband who couldn't come up with one for his first son.  
  
"I've thought a lot about this one. I was thinking Goten." Chi-Chi's eyes lit up with this name. Not only did it suit their trend in male names, but the meaning was not lost. Their second son was heaven sent.  
  
Looking down at the now sleeping child, she pushed back a lock of his thick ebony hair. "Goten." she whispered. Pulling her husband closer to them, she looked into his dark eyes. "It's perfect."  
  
~*~  
  
Running a hand through his unruly spikes, Gohan stared at his easel. Since the Cell Games, he had slowly learned to accept his actions. While he was still quiet and reclusive, he did speak and show some emotion. The most emotion he would show was when Hercule appeared on the television screen. His parents were still worried for their son and they knew just what he needed. He needed to speak to someone. The boy had so much to deal with. He was physically and mentally different from anyone else in the world. He possessed unimaginable power at a young age, had physical abnormalities, and had gone through an emotion roller coaster ride.  
  
Angel and Erik were still haunted by what they had seen on television for the Cell Games. The fighters, the golden one in particular, possessed powers that they had only seen in their son. There were so many clues, so many coincidences that just pointed at a relationship with those people. Could they be the boy's actual family? As much as they would have loved to see their son happy, they weren't sure if they could give up the boy that they loved so much.  
  
Cassandra merely lurked in the shadows of the pained home. She would silently observe her parents and her brother. She also wondered of those mysterious fighters and of her brother's origin, but it really didn't matter to her. She loved him; he was her brother no matter what. Over the months she had watched as he submerged himself into art. Experimenting with different styles and subjects, he had used it to express himself. His pictures generally turned out to be dark abstracts, swirling black, dark blues and greens with traces of golds and reds. A few ended up with large parts of black, orange and royal blue. There were also his attempts of the unexplainable, always pictures he could barely recall.  
  
Angry at his inability to capture his mental images once again, Gohan tossed a handful of black paint at the large canvas before storming out of the room. Pulling off most of his clothes, the exception being his boxers, Gohan jumped into the lake. Floating on his back, he watched as the white clouds passed him by. This scenic picture was interrupted as he was pushed deep into the water. Surfacing, he found himself face to face with his grinning sister. A smile slowly crept onto his face; Cassandra was the only one who could make him smile.  
  
Pushing a large wave of water at her, he quickly dove back underwater. After a few minutes of splashing the other, the two siblings swam back to the edge of the lake. Lying on their towels, the two children's smiles slowly faded.  
  
Hesitantly, Gohan spoke. "Cass . . ." All of her attention was quickly given to him, knowing that it was time.  
  
Sighing, he forced the words from his mouth. "Do you ever think back to that night?" She merely nodded her head, allowing him to continue. "W- Were you scared . . . of me?"  
  
Cassandra merely looked at him incredulously. "Gohan, how could you think that? You saved us that night. If you hadn't stopped them, our parents or us could have died."  
  
"You didn't answer my question. Were you afraid of me?" He asked forcefully, his dark eyes swarming with fear and guilt.  
  
Gently, she laid her hand on his arm. Looking at him, eye to eye, she calmly spoke. "That night was probably the worst night of my life, the worst night of all of our lives. When you turned into the golden warrior, I was afraid. Not of you, but for you. Your eyes, brother . . . your eyes spoke so much. There was so much pain and anger in them, it consumed you. It's not your fault. You've blamed yourself and placed so much guilt on your own shoulders for that night, but if you hadn't stopped them, we could be dead, or maybe someone else."  
  
Gohan nodded at her words, silently acknowledging that he too had thought of this. Relief swept through him, for she hadn't been scared of him. "But I didn't have to kill them . . . so ruthlessly." He muttered.  
  
"True . . . but that wasn't you." She said smiling. "It was your anger . . . no one blames you, Go, only you."  
  
Again, Gohan nodded. He knew that what he had done was wrong, but he couldn't change it. Slowly, he was accepting it and move on. Smiling at his sister, he thanked her.  
  
Cassandra merely smiled at him before her face turned serious again. "Hey Gohan, I was wondering, who do you think those guys were at the Cell Games?"  
  
Gohan's face immediately strickened at the question. "They were powerful. Extremely powerful. Especially the golden one . . . I wonder who they are . . ."  
  
Hesitating on her words, Cass studied her brother for his reactions. "Do you think, maybe, that they're family? I mean, they had powers and the golden thing, which you can do."  
  
"I don't know. It makes me so mad, Cass. I don't know who they were, so I can't find them and ask them. But if they are my family, why am I here and not with them? Did they want me? Was I not good enough? I was only four years old damn it." Tears clouded his eyes as he gasped for breath. "Am I that horrible, that they wouldn't want me?"  
  
Cass's dark blue eyes began to water at her brother's words. She had known that he was bothered by not knowing his parentage, but never did she think he was bothered this much. Between this, his physical abnormalities, the new strength, and Christmas night, Gohan's life was seriously messed up. At least now she understood the compounded problems that haunted her brother so much. Maybe this was why he shed tears at night. Maybe this was what had truly haunted him. Problems after problems after problems for her brother. Compounding and making the events of Christmas even worse. All weighing on his youthful shoulders.  
  
"Gohan, I-I . . . I . . . I don't know what to say. I don't know why and I don't know the truth. I'm not God. I'm just a girl. But no matter what, you'll always have us little brother. We haven't abandoned you and we won't. Mom and Dad are still here, they are always gonna be here. Even in the bad times, we were together. We will always be here for you. We love you, we always will, forever."  
  
With those words spoken, the two fell into an embrace as Gohan shed a few more tears. He had always worried about his parents. As much as he loved them, he couldn't help but feel like a burden on the family. He wasn't of their blood; he was just an abnormal boy, a freak with a tail. But deep down, his sister had just soothed some ache that had been gnawing at his soul. Tearing it, shredding it daily.  
  
He was no longer an orphan, an outcast from one family, a pity and charity to another. He was a part of a family, with a sister that loved him no matter what. A family that had stood by him, even in the darkest moments.  
  
Grinning, the two stood up and went back into the house. Immediately, Gohan embraced his parents, apologizing for his attitude, his solitude, and his actions. Begging for forgiveness of his actions and for just being him. Tears slid down his pale cheeks, his obsidian eyes haunted by so many fears and insecurities.  
  
His mutterings called forth tears in his parent's eyes as well. He had thought they didn't love him, only put up with him, an act of charity. The four members of the family huddled together in a touching embrace. Angel and Erik pulled their children close to them, reassuring them of their love.  
  
That night, peace fell on the Daemon house for the first time in months. Insecurities and fears that had haunted the family, lurking in the shadows, had been put to rest. Injuries, to both heart and soul, were soothed. It was love . . . and in that moment, it was all that mattered.  
  
~*~  
  
::peaks head from out of the corner:: I didn't really leave a cliffhanger this time. If my story were broken up into Volumes or Sagas, then this would be the end of number one. Not the end of the story, just the saga. Well, my bro's wedding went over fine and THANK YOU for your great reviews. It was a lot of fun to come back and see them. As for why the hell it took me so long? Well, I've been mad busy. Class, tests, essays, catching up on some much needed sleep, new DBZ episodes (can't forget those) . . . and much more. The point is, you got your new chapter. A little later than you would have preferred but you got it right? I must say, I got the most intriguing reviews ever. I had offers for a certain male to dress in lingerie for the new chapter . . . O.o hum. Lets think on that for a little bit. lol. Anyways, hope ya liked, now review!  
  
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MAILING LIST: Wanna know when I update? Then email me or tell me in the review to add you to the WDIB Update List. And don't forget that email address minna!  
  
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SNEAK PEAK: (do you guys read this at all????) The start of the . . . ummmm . . . Training and more Torture Saga?!?  
  
"'He was an abomination, a worthless freak, a pathetic excuse for a human being and not worth calling a son." She said, her voice strained with hatred and disgust."  
  
"A summer with no parents, a summer to explore his abilities, a whole summer to test his strength? Sounded good to him. Sure, he hated the power, but he was curious of just what it could do, plus, he didn't want to hurt anyone. Broken appliances and dishware paled in comparison to broken body parts and bones of his loved ones." 


	12. Chapter 12: Growing Up

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, it characters, or anything in it; nor do I own any other licensed product/item that may appear throughout this fan fiction piece.  
  
AN: Thank you all for the great reviews. Getting close to two hundred! By far my most successful story. My writing time is being seriously cut down. Who knew these classes would take up this much time? So yes, though I don't exactly update daily, I've been doing something like updates twice a week or so, but I don't know what it's going to turn too. I'm trying to stay ahead, but it is getting harder. I haven't updated my other stories for a while, only this one. And if any of you read those, I apologize about that. This story will update weekly though. I'm pretty sure I can keep up with that, for now at least.  
  
Ummmm. Interesting reviews though. I didn't know that some of my sneaks would cause such a stir. lol. Answers are given. And damn people! You guys always expect the worst of me . . . okay so you should, but still. Gohan is not going to be beating his family!!!  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Gingerly, Gohan opened a small box. A shiver ran down his spine as he lifted out a single bullet. It was the bullet that had been fired at him on that fateful Christmas night three and a half years ago. He had found it on the floor of the evacuated room a few years ago when he was just getting over it. His parents had changed rooms, abandoning the other one and locking the door tight. Too bad no lock could keep the youngest Daemon out. He had gone in there to relive his horror as penance, but one night, he had found the bullet. It had been meant for his death, but he had cheated death again and caused it instead.  
  
Carefully, the twelve year old studied it. He had kept it with him as a remembrance, a reminder of his actions and the animal within him. While sitting there, examining the bullet, he remembered his dream. A haunting dream that he had awoken in a cold sweat about. Long ago, he had learned to stifle sobs and any expression of nightmares while asleep. Last night's dream still lurked in the shadows of his mind, feeding up on the darkness.  
  
There had been an ebony haired woman holding an ebony haired boy holding a small picture. The picture was easily Gohan at about four years old wearing the outfit the Daemons had found him in.  
  
"Mommy . . . who is this boy?"  
  
"That's your brother."  
  
"Really? Where is he? And how come I haven't met him yet?" he said pouting as only a three year old could.  
  
"Because he's not here anymore." She said in her melodious voice as she pushed back a lock of the boy's spiky hair. "He was an abomination, a worthless freak, a pathetic excuse for a human being and not worth calling a son." She said her voice strained with hatred and disgust. "That's why we hide this picture sweetie. We want to forget about him, we don't even want to know what he was."  
  
"But where is he?" He asked innocently, his dark eyes wide at what he was hearing.  
  
"Gone, my son. Never to return. Your father and I sent him far away . . ." She said, locking eyes with a dark haired man as she kissed the young child's head lovingly. Covered in shadows, a statuesque man, an adult version of the chibi, grimaced at the speech.  
  
"Is he coming back?  
  
"No," the man spat. "He's dead. For the good of the world, he is dead. In mind, body, and soul. And if he's not . . . I will make sure he dies. . ." The man's fiery eyes lit up and glared at the portrait before crushing it in his hand. "I swear, he's dead and will remain that way . . . forever."  
  
A gasp from the door startled Gohan from his memories. Glaring up, murderous green eyes pierced a set of midnight blue ones. The eyes of his sister were wide with shock. Startled, he fell from the bed, his eyes bleeding black and the light disappearing once more. Cassandra ran to her brother, helping him on his feet.  
  
"What happened?" she asked her voice full of concern.  
  
Looking down at the ruined bed, a slight blush crossed his cheeks. "I-I was just thinking . . ." he stuttered.  
  
"You really need to learn to control this, Gohan. It's been years now . . . It's about time you seriously train again." She said seriously. "I can beat you now . . ." she said with a laugh.  
  
He quickly sent a mock glare her way. "Could not. I could beat you with my pinky." A good hearty laugh escaped his lips as he disappeared from the room, expecting her to follow soon after. He knew he needed to train. He hadn't seriously practiced martial arts for a while. It had haunted him. He didn't want the destructive power; he didn't want the strange ability. He wanted to be normal, not the tailed freak.  
  
Hearing his decent into the kitchen, Cassandra quickly moved over to the rubble that had once been his bed. She had watched him from the doorway for a while. She had seen him studying something quite hard before he dropped it and transformed. Feeling on the wooden floor until her fingers glided upon a small piece of cold metal. Grasping it, she pulled it out. A startled gasp escaped her lips as she quickly figured out just what it was. The bullet that had meant to end his life that Christmas. Doubt of her brother's full recovery coiled in her mind as a snake. Pocketing the physical reminder of the horror that plagued their home, she escaped the room, mentally reminding herself to have a talk with her brother soon.  
  
Sliding into the chair beside her brother, she prepared to eat her own meal. She knew that she had to get her food before her brother retrieved his. Surveying her sibling, she searched for a sign of distress or any conceivable evidence of his sorrow. Years as an observer in the Daemon household were no help as she searched his countenance. However, she knew that he had become an expert in deceiving. He held facades easily, only displaying his true torment and shadows when he wanted to. Dropping her thoughts, she turned to eating.  
  
Gohan merely sighed. He could feel his sister's gaze and knew that she was worried. She had always been the one to see through him, but he could deceive her when he had too. He refused to be a burden. He had to be strong. For his sister, his parents, his family, as well as himself. Hiding a grin, his mind worked up the way to break the news of his latest slip up to his parents. Before digging into the mountain of food before him, he sheepishly looked up at his parents. "Ummm Mom, Dad?"  
  
Upon seeing the guilty look on his face, the two prepared themselves for the worst. Their imaginations flickering with every possibility for a twelve and a half year old child. From pregnancy (a girl's, not his), to violence, to something at school . . . boy, could their imaginations work. "Yeah son?" Erik asked hesitantly.  
  
Noticing the apprehension in his parent's eyes, he almost wanted to fall off his chair with laughter. Ever since he had received the 'birds and the bees' talk a few months ago, his father always seemed to expect the worst. His trademark grin appeared on his face, his obsidian eyes gleaming. "I-I have something to say . . ." Knowing he had their attention, he took a deep breath.  
  
Cass merely chuckled. She knew what he was doing . . . It wasn't like she didn't do it every now and then. Their parents were just so paranoid about their children's lives. Especially when it came to bad news. With all the accidents that happened around Gohan, you would think they were used to that guilty face. Her brother was always exerting strength, breaking dishes, bending silverware, knocking down doors, occasionally walking through the wall or busting through the ceiling, and of course, the uncontrolled blasts or accidental gold fighters. He really did need to learn control.  
  
"Well, you see . . ." he began, stalling, edging on his parents. "I, I mean . . . She, I mean . . . We . . . Errrr." he growled in mock frustration. "Well, . . . the two of you . . . are going to be . . . gr--"  
  
His words were quickly cut off as Erik's glass broke from the strain of his clenched fist. Gohan's eyebrow rose as his father and mother merely stared at him, storms appearing in their eyes. Innocently, his dark eyes flashed purity and a bit of tears. Before Erik could speak, Gohan spoke quickly, wanting to finish his words before things got too out of hand. When his mother got started one something, that lecture would take forever to end and the truth revealed.  
  
"grounding me soon." His trademark grin appeared with full force. Beside him, Cass burst into laughter. Her body shook with humor at her parent's expense, so that she fell from her chair.  
  
Picking herself up, she caught her breath. "You guys thought Gohan was going to say grandparents didn't you?" she asked, her dark blue eyes sparkling like sapphires. She was soon joined by Gohan as the two began laughing again.  
  
Erik and Angel merely regained their composure before glaring at their pre- teen children. "You got that right son." He said, a faint humor softening the hard edge of his words. "But can I ask why I was going to do it before your stunt?"  
  
"Sure!" he said as he picked up his glass of orange juice that shattered quickly in his hand. Immediately, his large smile turned sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head. A slight chuckle escaped his lips. "Oops?"  
  
Angel merely sighed before getting the dishrag to clean up her son's mess. Broken glass was getting common . . . as well as broken everything. Shaking her head, she moved to clean up Erik's mess as well.  
  
"Thanks mom." He said quietly before looking at his stern father once more. "Well, I-I kinda did it again . . ." he said, his voice thick with guilt. "I was thinking and when I heard Cass come in my room . . . It startled me. But I was golden again." His voice had tapered off into a whisper as he spoke those words. The family knew what he meant and how much he despised the strange ability.  
  
"Well, son, I've been thinking about it. You haven't done much training so how would you like to spend your summer on a training expedition." Gohan's eyebrows rose at his words but remained silent, waiting for an explanation. "A lot of younger students are being sent off to survive on their own . . . But since we all know you could survive, and you certainly don't need to spend your summer at the dojo, I was thinking that three months out in the woods might help you control the power. Then, these accidents can end, and we won't have to buy you a new bed all the time."  
  
Angel immediately interrupted. "No Erik. Hell no!" This certainly shocked everyone there. Angel had never been fond of curse words, only using them when very mad . . . like the time the kids had taken all of her jewelry and dumped it in the lake so they could go diving for 'treasure.'  
  
"There is no way in hell that my son is going into the woods for three months on his own. He's only 12 years old Erik, that is too young and it will not happen." Her midnight blue eyes darkened, storming with anger at her husband.  
  
Erik merely smiled at her, knowing that she wasn't mad at the anger. Hell, he had done the survival thing before. It was fear. Plain and simple. Slowly, he stood and walked to where she was standing. Pulling her into an embrace, he whispered to her reassuringly. "Angel, honey, calm down. It's only three months, besides, nothing will happen to him. He's stronger than we could ever imagine. I don't even think he realized just how strong he is, much less us realizing it. Nothing will happen, I promise. And he doesn't have to go alone . . . Cassandra could go too."  
  
Angel sniffed back her tears. Her husband was expecting her to allow her two children, the most precious things in their life, out into the wilderness for three months. Deep down, she knew that it was actually a good idea. Gohan and Cassandra were very close; they would look out for each other. Plus, this would give Gohan an opportunity to explore the extent of his powers. In populated areas, it wouldn't work. Nodding, she backed away. "Whatever they choose . . ." she whispered before disappearing upstairs.  
  
Gohan and Cassandra's eyes met, immediately smiling, they looked at their father. "Hell yeah!" They exclaimed in unison. Both immediately apologized about their language as well.  
  
Erik merely chuckled at their enthusiasm. "Well, when do you want to leave?" The two merely fell into silence, unsure of when to choose.  
  
"As soon as possible?" Gohan asked hesitantly. He didn't want to seem too eager, but he did want to do it quickly. A summer with no parents, a summer to explore his abilities, a whole summer to test his strength? Sounded good to him. Sure, he hated the power, but he was curious of just what it could do, plus, he didn't want to hurt anyone. Broken appliances and dishware paled in comparison to broken body parts and bones of his loved ones.  
  
"How about this weekend? That way your mom won't feel like your rushing off to leave her. Plus, we need to get you guys some stuff out there. Its not going to be survival camp so you guys will want to take some things with you." The two preteens nodded their heads.  
  
After breakfast, the family headed to the stores, ready to prepare their children for three months alone in the middle of no where.  
  
As the weekend approached, Angel was constantly worried about their safety. Pampering them, making them their favorite foods, everything she could do to spoil them, she did it. That Saturday morning, she drug herself out of bed, following her husband to bid the two children goodbye.  
  
"So, do you know where you're going?" Erik asked curiously.  
  
Rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish laugh, Gohan shook his head. "Nope."  
  
Rolling her eyes at her brother's antics, she hit the back of his head. "Gohan's going to fly around and look for some locations, wooded, no people, that type of place."  
  
Nodding at her words, Erik embraced his daughter. "Be careful Cassandra. Keep an eye on your brother, he needs you." He whispered. Cass merely nodded at his words before going to her mother and being pulled into a tight hug as well.  
  
"Well, son, are you ready?" Shadows appeared in Gohan's eyes with his father's words. "And I don't mean physically. Are you ready to battle your inner demons and master your golden abilities?" he asked seriously.  
  
"I-I don't know, dad, but I'll find out." The two Daemon men embraced briefly. Angel quickly tore her son from Erik and enveloped him in an endearing embrace.  
  
"You be good, and be careful Gohan. If anything happens, you get here immediately. Do you have everything you need? Are you sure you want to do this?" Her questions were put to a halt as Gohan wrapped his arms around his mother.  
  
"I'll be fine mom. Don't worry. Enjoy three months without me and Cass around to bug you." He sent one last soft and reassuring smile to his mother before picking up his stuff and capsulizing it. Cass took the capsules and put them in her case in her pocket.  
  
Moving behind his sister, he wrapped his arms around her waist. Sending a smile at his parents, the four gave their last goodbyes. Sending a reassuring look to his sister's scared face, he grinned. "Remind me to teach you to fly Cass . . . your heavy!"  
  
Laughing at his sister's angry face, he backed away as she moved to hit him. He quickly held his hands up in mock surrender. "Okay Okay! I give!" he yelled while laughing. Straightening up, he continued seriously. "Really, maybe I can teach you. Then I don't have to carry you everywhere." A grin quickly appeared on his face. Maybe he could pass some of his abilities off.  
  
Finally ready to leave, the four said goodbyes again. Wrapping his arms around his sister again, he began lift off. Hovering mid-air, the two pre- teens yelled their goodbyes, before Gohan took off in a flash of light.  
  
Erik and Angel watched as they quickly vanished from sight. Wrapping an arm around his wife's waist, she buried her head on her shoulder. Tears poured from her eyes. Erik tipped her head up, wiping the tears from her cheek. "Don't worry Angel, they'll be fine. I told you Gohan has amazing strength. They can handle anything. Gohan would give up his own life before anything happened to Cass, and I don't think anything will hurt Gohan. Remember, that bullet didn't hurt him . . . they will both be fine."  
  
Angel felt reassured a bit by the reminder. As much as they hated remembering that fateful Christmas night, the fact that the bullet hadn't hurt him at all was reassuring now. Looking up at her husband's eyes, emeralds to sapphires, she sought his comfort. "You're sure?"  
  
Ignoring the cold that washed over his heart and forewarning in his mind, he began to lead his wife inside of the house. "I'm sure. I promise baby. They will be fine." A smile decorated her face, reassured by her husband's words.  
  
Suddenly, a smirk decorated Erik's face. Pulling Angel close to him, he leaned down to her ear, nibbling slightly. "You know . . . the kids are gone for three whole months. I wonder what we can do to pass the time . . ."  
  
Angel grinned at her husband before running upstairs. Erik quickly followed, anticipating some one-on-one time with his wife for the first time in since Cassandra was born, ignoring any warning to the horror that could occur.  
  
Forgetting that despite his son's power, everyone has their weaknesses.  
  
Forgetting the things that he learned the night of the potential robbery.  
  
Forgetting the darkness that lurked in the shadows of everyone's minds and the corruption of the world around them.  
  
~*~ ~*~  
  
Yup, that is foreshadowing people. Anyone who knows me and my writing style knows I won't let my characters have many happy moments, especially in an Angst story. There will be warnings as you progress. Please pay attention to them. FF.net pulled NC-17 stories (though I absolutely do not get this) due to complaints, and I won't have that happen here. I don't think it grants for NC-17 and damn it people, this is not going to turn into a Gohan/Cassandra fic. Please people. They see each other as best friends, brother/sister. I don't even want your minds going there. I don't know if the story will have romance at all. Videl will show up when I get that far, but this story is not romance. But you guys don't need to think that far ahead, nor do I. Kami, we still have a ways to go for him to get near those cities. And of course, feed back is always a good idea.  
  
~*~ ~*~  
  
MAILING LIST: Again, you email me or review and tell me you want on the WDIB update list, making sure you give me your email address. If your on it, and you want off, then tell me. And if you asked to be on it and you didn't get it, then tell me. I can't fix things if I don't know what's wrong. I'm not perfect.  
  
~*~ ~*~  
  
SNEAK PEEK: (Thanks for telling me you pay attention to this. And you know if you don't get one . . . that means the next chapter isn't written. The are pulled from the unrevised/unedited chapters.)  
  
""Who's dat?" A tiny voice said.  
  
Whipping around, Chi-Chi was shocked to see her three year old son standing on a chair, looking at one of the few remaining pictures of Gohan. Goku, who had just entered the house from training, froze like a deer caught in an oncoming car's headlights."  
  
~*~  
  
""Now try to lower yourself Cass." Sure enough, she willed her way down. Opening her eyes, she was shocked to see how far up she was in the air. Immediately, her concentration was destroyed. With this, her energy receded into her body once more, leaving her unsupported, plummeting to the ground."  
  
~*~ ~*~  
  
To answer some questions:  
  
IAN: NOOOOOOOO! Okay, I'm sure you know now, but no. Not breaking family members. Just a comparison. And just who is sick? Me? Yeah . . . I do tend to move to that side huh? Wait a few chapters and you'll see what sick and twisted really is.  
  
SUNSHINE066: You still wanna kill em? Well, how about holding off on killing them till you hear what they really say . . . or at least until they meet Gohan again. If they don't reunite, ::glances around nervously:: you'll probably get me beat up. If not destroyed.  
  
MK: Heh. I'll take that as a compliment. I am cruel . . . but its so much fun.  
  
SUPER-SAIYAN-MONKEY: Great that you love it! Gohan's character demands that he blame himself. He just calls for that sort of action. And yes, I love him character as well. He is my fave!  
  
ONI STALKER: That is the eternal question with my reviews. As my summary says, 13 yrs after his adoption they will meet. It hasn't been written but it should land somewhere between Chapter 20-25.  
  
MISS LOUS: You know, this review totally confused me for hours. I had written and edited parts with Goten and I was so confused because he didn't have a tail. I had absolutely no clue what you were talking about. Finally it hit me, he was sucking on his tail as a baby. Well, like Gohan he was born with it. It got lopped off. I love tails too, but only Gohan can have his. There is a reason behind that. Goten's . . . I just like that image of sucking his tail rather than a thumb.  
  
CHAZ: Yup! Lingerie for THE chaz. lol. Why thank you, Chaz. Glad you enjoyed it. And damn it, I didn't say Goku torture in this one. That was last one. I said I put a pause on Goku torture . . . though I dun like him right now. Still. ::grinz:: you wouldn't take that lingerie offer from me now would ya? Innocent my ass . . .  
  
ANDROID 71: Mystery solved!!!!!! And thanx for understanding. I hate to disappoint people. And ozuru? hummmm... You must wait with the rest. ::grinz madly::  
  
GOHAN/VIDEL4EVER: I have a lot of recurring themes and I want to make sure you know where I'm going and what they are feeling. I never saw the episode where Trunks left so I honestly have no clue what happened. Only thing I knew was the two finger salute. The rest was me. And Gohan back with the Z-senshi . . . You gotta wait.  
  
BEJI: Sorry to hear you can't update. I was able. Which was great! lol. And yeah, I didn't forget about his thoughts on his family. It will come up quite a bit, but I had him bottle it up then release it. And as for more . . . here it is! Want more? lol.  
  
TO THIS MYSTERIOUS NO NAMED ANONYMOUS PERSON: lol. I dun know what to call you. Try the trick of going to the last chapter it will show you, then change the chapter number in your http address. Press enter, and it should get you there. You wouldn't happen to be my flamer as well now would ya? Or just have nothn for me to call ya.  
  
THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS, AND NO, I DON'T ADDRESS EVERYONE. JUST SOME SPECIFICS. BUT THANKS GO TO EVERYONE!  
  
~ maybe I should steal some cookies from Wy and give em to ya! lol. Ja'ne!  
  
Ice Angel. 


	13. Chapter 13: Teachings

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, it characters, or anything in it; nor do I own any other licensed product/item that may appear throughout this fan fiction piece.  
  
AN: FILLER CHAPTER . . . . Get the idea? I've got a few of these, but they have their purpose. So please, I know it's a filler and its not meant to be action packed. Not everything in life is a drama as much as I (and other authors) may try to make it be.  
  
Well, this was going to be my Bday gift to you! Well, it was my birthday, but I was going to give you guys the *gift* if that's what you wanted to call this! But, when I went to update on the 11th, ff.net was down (I totally forgot about maintenance) and then it didn't come back all day on the 12th, so . . . you're getting it now! lol. Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 13  
  
"Who's dat?" A tiny voice said.  
  
Whipping around, Chi-Chi was shocked to see her three year old son standing on a chair, looking at one of the few remaining pictures of Gohan. Goku, who had just entered the house from training, froze like a deer caught in an oncoming car's headlights.  
  
Both of the adults were visibly shaken. They had known that they would have to tell their son of his older brother one day, but it still shook them to their very core. They had healed from his death, now able to think of him without breaking into tears. They had accepted it and moved on, still holding a place in their heart for their lost son.  
  
Chi-Chi and Goku headed over to their son who was studying the picture. The tot was a miniature version of Goku, all of his features the same. His eyes, so bright and innocent, were untainted by battle, un-shadowed by grief. He was the essence of what Gohan and Goku were, before death darkened their lives.  
  
Goku picked up the picture, four year old Gohan smiled at him, his eyes reflecting the same brightness in it as Goten's. A faint smile appeared on his face as he looked at the picture for the first time in three years. Sitting on the couch, he truly studied it, shocked at how faded the picture in his mind truly was. He was slowly forgetting Gohan, and that scared the hell out of him.  
  
Chi-Chi gathered the youngest Son into her arms and seated herself beside her husband. Goten immediately crawled over to his father's lap, hoping to discover who the mysterious boy was. Goku slipped his arm around Chi-Chi and felt as she leaned into him, reassured by his presence. At least they didn't have to do this alone.  
  
"Who is he daddy?" Goten asked, impatient with his parents.  
  
"He's your brother Goten."  
  
~*~  
  
"Alright, now focus and try to bring it out. Close your eyes and relax Cass, you can't force it out. Just search for it inside, and let it come out." Gohan coached, watching his sister attempt to form a ball of energy. He had slowly learned of his abilities through trial and error, practice and his sharp mind. After a few days of attempting, he realized that it was like an inner force could control his abilities. So, he had searched himself, finding it, a bundle of energy with capabilities unknown.  
  
He knew that is was where his golden power lies as well. He had also seen something deeper, so vast and indescribable, he was afraid of just what they un-grasped power could do. Therefore, he had left it alone. Now, teaching Cass was a lot harder then he anticipated. It was so hard for him to describe it. Hell, he didn't even know if he was saying it right.  
  
Sweat gathered on Cassandra's forehead as she searched deep within herself. Once again, Gohan shook her. "You have to relax. Its not going to come out with force, it has to come out naturally. I know I'm not exactly explaining, but it's hard to. But trust me, if you try to force it, it won't come out. Just find it and once you find that power, let it flow free, bring it to your hands."  
  
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes once more. Calmly, she searched for the energy she had been so close to before. Finally, she was able to find the bundle of scarlet energy. Mentally she released it, feeling it flow to her hands. Slowly she cracked an eye open, hesitantly looking within her hands. Sure enough, a ball of swirling red and purple energy sat, glowing and swirling.  
  
Gohan immediately congratulated her, proud that she had been able to do it despite his poor instructing. A large smile decorated her face as she looked up at him. "I did it!" A soon as her concentration ended, the light faded, returning with in her. Her face crumbled as that happened.  
  
Gohan merely laughed, assuring her that she could do it anytime now. He watched as she made another attempt; almost immediately bring it up, however, only to loose it as fatigue hit her. Wavering, she laid on the ground, attempting to recover. Grinning, Gohan laid by his sister. "I guess you just don't have as much energy as me."  
  
Cass merely snorted at his comment. "I-I would beat your ass for that comment . . . but I'm too tired to move." She said as she swatted at him lamely.  
  
Fixing a hurt face upon his countenance he joked with her. "Owww Cass. What was that for?" Feigning hurt, he teased his sister with a whiny voice.  
  
"Ha Ha Gohan. You're so funny . . . Not! Baka! Not my fault I'm tired. I swear the only reason you have this much energy is because of how much you eat."  
  
Gohan merely grinned at his sister. He did have a huge appetite. No one could even understand where it all went. His body was almost purely muscle. But they here merely shrugged it off like his other oddities. He had enough of them, I mean, who would think of a large appetite (even if he ate as much as an army in one sitting) when he had his golden transformation, could fly, shoot energy blasts, had a tail, and had murdered people viciously with ease?  
  
Soon, Cass was ready to continue. Looking to her brother for instructions, she awaited her 'sensei's' command. "Keep making that ball until you can do it effortlessly without drain. I'm going to go and hunt for some food." Cass face faulted at his answer and watched as he went in search of enough food to fill his black hole of a stomach.  
  
Sighing, she pulled herself upright and concentrated. She would do as she was told for now, beat his pathetic ass later.  
  
~*~  
  
"My bruder? Where is he?" He asked, his shining obsidian eyes blinking in confusion.  
  
Sighing, he continued through the story. "Yes, Goten, your big brother Gohan. He would be about ten years older than you son. But long ago, a Saiyan named Radditz came here to Earth. You remember the story of Radditz right?" Earning a nod from his son, he continued. "You see, he wanted me to join him in being evil, so he took Gohan with him, holding him hostage. But when Piccolo and I went to fight Radditz and save your brother, we found out Raddtiz put him in his space ship. That ship launched, taking your big brother far away, but it exploded with him in it." Looking down at his son, he wiped a tear from the chibi's face.  
  
"H-He 'sploded?" He asked wide eyed. He had become used to battles and such from his father's stories, along with Vegeta's when he and Trunks could get one out of him. He was raised with some fighting experience so normally these things didn't bother him. But his own brother? That bothered him.  
  
"Yes Goten, he was in the ship when it exploded. So now he's in heaven. We'll see him one day." Goku finished with a faint smile. Chi-Chi looked over at her husband with tears in her eyes. Ruffling his son's hair, he pulled him closer. "But don't worry son, I'll never let any thing like that happen to you. I'll always protect you Goten." Looking far into the distance, to something unknown, his voice fell to a whisper. "I won't fail him like I did you Gohan. I'm sorry."  
  
~*~  
  
"Alright, now you've got the energy ball down. Now this time, try to put the energy underneath you and have it lift you up. Okay? And remember . . . stay relaxed. If you don't, then it won't work. Remember the energy flow."  
  
Stepping back, he watched as she brought the energy beneath her, attempting to float or hover. A few minutes later, a breeze caused the grass to waver beneath her as her energy gathered. Sure enough, she was hovering in air, a firm look of concentration on her face.  
  
Slowly she began to rise higher and higher. Soon, Gohan's look of amazement turned to fear. Sure, he had fallen eight feet without harm at the age of six, but thirteen feet and rising for his sister? He didn't think so.  
  
"Now try to lower yourself Cass." Sure enough, she willed her way down. Opening her eyes, she was shocked to see how far up she was in the air. Immediately, her concentration was destroyed. With this, her energy receded into her body once more, leaving her unsupported, plummeting to the ground.  
  
~*~  
  
"But what about the d-dragonballs daddy? Didn't dey make you alive again?"  
  
Goku's eyes shot up hearing his son's words. For a three year old, he was amazingly bright. Innocent, yes. Naïve, yes. But stupid? No. 'Why didn't I think of the Namek dragonballs sooner?' he asked himself distraught. It had been so many years, was it truly fair to bring him back now. "The Namakian Dragonballs . . ." he whispered.  
  
Chi-Chi merely looked at him, tears and sadness in her eyes. "I'm sorry Goku." she muttered. His head shot up, staring at her with his wide eyes. "I-I tried that. While you were gone, and didn't come back, I tried to wish him back with Portunga. I-It didn't work. He said it couldn't be done, it was impossible." Tears gathered in her eyes, knowing that she should have told her husband this sooner.  
  
Goku stared at his wife in amazement. She had tried, but . . . it didn't work? If the Namakian Dragonballs couldn't do it, then it really was impossible. But why wouldn't it work? Maybe Gohan had been gone too long, had moved on . . .  
  
Goku fell into his thoughts as Goten watched him curiously. "Daddy . . ." Goku looked up, as if realizing that he were there for the first time. Blinking, Goku was brought back to reality. "What was bruder like?"  
  
Goku smiled at his young son and ruffled his spiky hair. Happy to relive the great memories of his eldest son, he grinned at the boy. "Well, you can see what he looked like right here. Your mom always dressed him in this, with that hat that had the four star dragonball on it. And your mommy always made him study!" he said with a mock disgusted look on his face. Goten quickly mirrored his father's expression, earning a glare from Chi-Chi.  
  
"So he was really smart. But Goten, you want to know something very special about your big brother?" This earned an enthusiastic nod from the tot on his lap. "He had enormous power. If he were still alive, I have no doubt he would be the strongest of all of us."  
  
Goten's eyes widened at his father's words. "Really!?! Even stronger dan you daddy?"  
  
"Even stronger than me Goten. When he was about your age, he beat up an evil guy who kidnapped him for his dragonball. The guy's name was Garlic Jr. Piccolo and I tried to fight him, but we couldn't win. He was the only person to get eternal life too . . ." Goten's puzzled face popped up. "He can't die. He'll live forever." Goku explained, earning a happy look from his son. "But then he opened up this hole that tried to suck us into an evil place called the Dead Zone. We were all holding onto pillars, but your brother stood up, balancing with his tail, and defeated him."  
  
Goten's eyes were wide at this. Goku merely chuckled in memory. "He got so mad because of what Garlic Jr. was doing, he was able to knock him into the Dead Zone and it closed up after Garlic Jr. went in. But then Gohan fainted, waking up thinking that I beat Garlic Jr." He finished with a chuckle.  
  
"Wow!" Goten exclaimed happily. Hearing about his brother was a lot of fun, especially since he got into a lot of trouble like him and Trunks did. Plus, his brother was super powerful. "More stories?" he asked, stifling a yawn.  
  
Goku chuckled at his son. "Maybe later, but right now its bed time."  
  
"But I dun wanna go to bed daddy. I'm not tired." He said, struggling to keep his eyes open.  
  
"You wanna be strong like me and your big brother right?" This earned a sleepy nod from his youngest son. "Then you need lots of sleep, okay Tiger?"  
  
"Okay daddy." The tiny tot said with a sigh. "But more stories later please?" He asked, his eyes widening in a pleading fashion.  
  
"Alright son, tomorrow. Maybe Trunks will want to hear them too."  
  
"Yeah . . ." Goten mumbled as he fell into a deep slumber with his mysterious brother lurking in the shadows of his dreams.  
  
~*~  
  
"I got you Cass." he said as he easily caught her in his arms. Her heart was racing with her 'near death experience.' Weakly, she looked at her brother, swearing never to do it again before she drifted to unconsciousness. Grinning, he put her to bed, a new plan forming in his mind.  
  
The next day, he was sure his plan would work. He knew she could fly, or at least hover. Now she just needed the push for her to do it, right? He had never taught this before, only learned by experience. He had learned in a moment of panic, activating the ability to save his life . . . or at least his pride when Cass had pulled his tail. Surely it would work for his sister too. Walking up to his sister, he placed a hand firmly on her shoulder.  
  
"Do you trust me Cass?"  
  
"Of course I do. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Because . . ." he trailed off as he picked her up and threw her off the cliff, her screams echoing though the canyon as she fell to her doom at the bottom of a nameless chasm.  
  
~*~  
  
Alright, sorry it took a while, but I've been really busy with midterms and working on my other stories. I accidently found myself ignoring them and concentrating on this one. ^_^;;;; Oops! So now I'm trying to find a balance for my stories, so I don't know when the next update will be. Two weeks max doh. I might end up doing updates for this story every other week or something. I'm gonna have to think it all over. I hope ya liked it, I know it wasn't very fast paced, but there this needed to be done. Now, for question answering...  
  
NOTE TO EVERYONE: As my summary says, it will take him 13 yrs after his adoption to meet up with his parents. If you do the math, its not until the "Saiyaman Saga." Got it? I constantly get that question, and I know you guys want to see it, but I'm seeing some of the same things asked and speculated over. Also, if he is in the 439 mountain area (which you'll have to wait and find out) he will not be running into Piccolo or Goku or anyone!!!! His first interaction will be when he is 17 yrs old in Satan City. But you'll have to wait and see just what I got planned there.  
  
PROFESSOR AUTHORDUDE: Ummmm. It was all a dream. He was remembering his dream of what his "parents" would think of him. Remember, he has no clue that he's half alien or anything. In his mind, he was of an abnormal birth and his parents abandoned him.  
  
IAN: All I can say is . . . . . . . O.O or . . . . ^_^;;;;;;  
  
MK: O.O Gohan doesn't know anything. His mind is speculating things. ::grinz:: Look at my response to Professor Authordude's review.  
  
WY-CHAN: If you've made it this far. . . It's a miracle. ^_^;;;; Ummm thanx for the reviews and really, you dun need to worry about flamers. It all comes with the territory.  
  
YURIKO: Wow, long review, lots of questions. Lets begin. Gohan/Videl? I have no idea. The fic isn't a romance, so . . . well, I don't know. lol. Saiyaman? Ummm Question.. how would he be Saiyaman if he doesn't know about Saiyans??? lol. Dun take it as rude, but I have no plans for Saiyaman at the moment. You'll see about Piccolo and no, he doesn't meet with them in training. That would mess up too much that is to come. And finally, about his SSJ transformation. Gohan has a lot of pent up emotional stress and heavy mental burdens. After the killing incident as well as his constant thoughts of his family not wanting him because he's a freak, he's fueled by these, snapping into SSJ. I've seen in the anime that it's a relatively easy transformation after the first time. So, its easy for him. As for the first time, he too struggled against the transformation and control. You do see he was bloodthirsty as well though. Hope that helps, and feel free to ask more!  
  
~*~  
  
MAILING LIST: Yup, email or leave in a review to be added to the WDIB update list!  
  
~*~  
  
SNEAK PEEK: Trunks and Goten learn about the short life of the first spawn of Kakarott. And we prepare to enter into the dark world. Angst begins in chapter 15!  
  
"'My daddy's much stronger than yours. Plus, my brother is stronger too!' Turning with as much superiority his youthful body could carry, he turned back towards home.  
  
Goku and Vegeta, who had stopped their spar, merely watched as Trunks glared at the black haired boy. 'You don't have a brother baka!'  
  
Goten merely turned to his friend, a smirk fixed on his youthful face."  
  
~*~  
  
"Tears moistened his jade orbs as he brought a hand to her forehead, pushing back her ebony hair to see her face. Her midnight blue eyes were coated with shimmering tears which began to rain down on her cheeks." 


	14. Chapter 14: Storytime

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, it characters, or anything in it; nor do I own any other licensed product/item that may appear throughout this fan fiction piece.  
  
AN: First order of business: HAPPY HALLOWEEN! ^_^ It's my favorite holiday so I had to make that number one. Anyways, it took me longer to get you this chapter, I know. I've been really busy with college work, along with a new web site, and general things in life. So, here is the newest installment. (That you get to see. ^_~)  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter 14  
  
A loud scream echoed over the land. Birds fled their nests; animals sought shelter from the pained cry, hiding from the unknown force within their territory. For a moment, it was as if the world, or at least the surrounding area, stood still as the scream echoed, mimicking the previous cry.  
  
Cassandra's form could be seen plummeting to the bottom of the dark abyss, her cries reverberating against the stony surface. Gohan merely watched, tense at the mouth of the crevice. The wind whipped around her as she descended. Closing her eyes, a pained grimace appeared as she flared her ki, slowly ending her fall as she hovered within the hallow walls of the cannon. Grinning, Gohan lazily flew towards her, ready to congratulate her.  
  
"See Cass! It's really easy! All you needed was a . . . push!"  
  
"You baka! I could have been hurt! Damn it Gohan, when I figure out how to get down I'm gonna kick your . . ." Her voice was quickly lost in screams as her control slipped, sending her rocketing to the ground.  
  
Eyes wide with fear and shock, Gohan took off with a burst of golden light, appearing beneath her in an instant, capturing her young body in his strong arms, safe from harm. Tears moistened his jade orbs as he brought a hand to her forehead, pushing back her ebony hair to see her face. Her midnight blue eyes were coated with shimmering tears which began to rain down on her cheeks. Throwing her arms around her brother's neck, she began sobbing as he slowly levitated them back to their camp site.  
  
Looking up at him, her eyes red from crying, relief swept through her as her feet hit the hard land. Staring up at him, she suddenly noticed his blonde hair and green eyes. Slowly, her hand made its way to his stiff golden locks. Pushing the single strand from his face, she studied him. Such torment was held in his jade orbs, clouded with self doubt and guilt.  
  
Suddenly, without warning, her other first slammed into his gut. Caught fully unaware, Gohan's lungs scrambled for air. "Don't you ever do that again, Gohan Daemon. If you ever throw me off a cliff again, I'm seriously gonna hurt you." Her ranting and raving was cut as a low chuckling escaped her young brother's lips.  
  
"First off, Sis, you really can't hurt me. I'm much stronger than you. Second, that was an unfair blow." Grimacing, Gohan paused as the golden aura disappeared, his locks bled black and his eyes darkened to their obsidian orbs once more. "And third, you flew."  
  
Staring at her brother for a moment, she allowed these things to process. She knew he was stronger, he always had been. She could have cared less if her hit had been unfair, he had deserved it. And she had flown . . . wait! She flew! Shock immediately graced her face with this thought. "I flew? I flew!" Dancing around, Cassandra happily shouted, acknowledging that she had accomplished it. She had flown. Throwing her arms around her little brother in an embrace, she continued to do a slight dance while shouting out her exuberance. Her voice echoed through the land, filled with excitement and joy.  
  
All the while, the young girl ignored her brother's pained reaction. Her voice drowning out his pathetic pleas.  
  
"You're gonna make me go deaf Cass!!!!"  
  
~*~  
  
"Ha Ha Trunks! You can't get me!"  
  
Irritated with his friend's antics, the young Prince growled. Springing to his fee, he tacked the black haired boy to the ground, pinning him. "I win!"  
  
Frowning, Goten looked up at his friend. Desperately struggling from his friends grasp, the young boy was faced with the fact that he had lost. As soon as the realization hit, Trunks jumped off of his friend. The trademark Vegeta smirk graced the lavender-haired youth as he watched the black haired demi-saiyan stand. "See, I'm stronger than you Goten!"  
  
Dusting the dirt from his pants, he scowled at his best friend. "Just 'cause ya beat me this time doesn't mean nothn. Plus, my dad is stronger than your dad." Sticking his tongue out at Trunks, he trotted towards his mountain home.  
  
Angered, Trunks stormed after his friend. "Na uh Goten. My dad is the Prince of the Saiyans. He's much stronger than your third class baka of a father, just like I'm stronger than you." Defiantly, he crossed his arms across his chest imitating his father as he repeated Vegeta's familiar words.  
  
"Uh huh! My daddy's much stronger than yours. Plus, my brother is stronger too!" Turning with as much superiority his youthful body could carry, he turned back towards home.  
  
Goku and Vegeta, who had stopped their spar, merely watched as Trunks glared at the black haired boy. "You don't have a brother baka!"  
  
Goten merely turned to his friend, a smirk fixed on his youthful face. "Uh huh! My daddy told me all about him! And he was strong! He even beat up a monster when he was our age! All alone!"  
  
Rolling his eyes, Trunks scoffed at Goten's words. "Heh. Whatever Goten. Go and play with your pretend brother, I don't care."  
  
Goten, noticing his father had ended the spar, ran to Goku, throwing his arms around his father's neck. "Daddy, Trunks won't believe me! Tell him I got a brother!"  
  
Wrapping his arms around his son, he looked at the young demi-saiyan Prince. "He's telling you the truth Trunks. Goten does have an older brother."  
  
Trunks merely stared agape at the pure blooded Saiyan. He had never heard about this. His father's smirk graced his face in a challenging manner. "So where is he? I bet he's weak."  
  
Vegeta tried to look uninterested at the conversation taking place. He hadn't heard much about Kakarott's eldest spawn. The other pureblood rarely spoke of the dead child and Vegeta barely cared enough to push him. However, he was slightly interested in the topic, desiring to know just what had happened and why it haunted Kakarott so much. He had heard the toast on Christmas, a few words from the onna, but not much more than that. He knew the child was dead before he had come to Earth and a few other facts. Turning his attention to his rival and the children, he watched as Goku seated himself on the ground. Leaning against a nearby tree, he crossed his arms over his chest and stared off into space, his scowl firmly in place, but his ears tuned into his fellow Saiyan's words.  
  
"Well Trunks, his name was Gohan, and he's dead." Trunk's eyes widened with realization. He had heard a few words of the dead Son from his mother. Her soft words called to the heavens at night when she believed no one to be around. Now he understood this was the child that had died. Scooting closer to ebony haired warrior, he braced himself for the story. He didn't know what to expect, but with Vegeta's bed time stories (at the threats of Bulma) he doubted it could faze him much.  
  
"Tell Trunks 'bout the monster daddy! The one big bruder beat up all by himself." Vegeta's eyebrows rose at the child's words. This spawn had defeated something? Perhaps that child was the true Saiyan, not a pathetic excuse for one as he had expected.  
  
Goku's eyes cleared at his son's enthusiasm. As much as he accepted it, he was still saddened with the loss. Instead, he slowly told the tale of Garlic Jr. and his defeat at the hands of the young demi-saiyan. Of the kidnapping and the wishes. The fight and the Dead Zone. As the tale came to an end, Trunk's eyes were wide with awe and admiration. "And he was about your age too."  
  
Vegeta merely stared at the group upon the grass. His scowl turning to a smirk. Yes, the first spawn of Kakarott would have been worthy of his Saiyan blood. However, faintly, he had to wonder of the child's death. It certainly could not have been at the hands of a foe . . . or could it have been? Noting to ask the onna, he heard Goten's voice asking for another story.  
  
"Alright, Goten. But Gohan wasn't in any more battles than that, son. But do you want to hear another story of his power?" Goten and Trunk's heads shook with glee. Goku could see the admiration in their eyes; however, he had to wonder if the time would come to tell of his son's demise. "When Gohan was about two, Chi-Chi and I were taking a walk through the woods. We stopped at a field of flowers, but our attention was focused on a family of birds." Chuckling, he remembered his own carelessness. "I let go of Gohan's stroller and before we knew it, the stroller had taken off down the path."  
  
Looking at his young son, he continued. "Your mom and I chased after it, but we couldn't catch up. But the carriage was headed straight for a big tree. We were sure that he would hit. But I guess it wasn't meant to be. Your brother barely escaped that time. He flew out of his carriage, headed straight for the tree, but his power took over, blasting a hole through the tree and he landed in my arms."  
  
The two chibi's stared at the jovial Saiyan, wonderment firmly on their faces. Vegeta merely passed it off. "Your brother escaped death a lot like that . . ." His words tapered off with the thought of the time that the hidden power, nor his own, had been able to save him. Silence coated the land.  
  
"I wanna be like Gohan. Come on Goten, let's train." The two demi-saiyans immediately began their own sort of spar. Watching them, Goku shook memories from his head. There were the good memories as well as the bad. The ones that felt good to remember and those that he would rather forget. Making his way to his fellow pureblood, he leaned against the tree. A slight whisper escaping his lips, falling solely upon the ears of the fellow pureblood. "But Gohan didn't train. . ."  
  
The last two of a dead race silently watched as their own hybrids played and mock spared. They were the children of the future, of their future as well as the worlds. They were the remnants of a dying legacy. The Saiyan Legacy.  
  
~*~  
  
The dark of night coated the wooded area, heavily lying upon the land. The three quarter moon glowed in the sky above, sending its lunar light to dance upon the shadowed ground. A sole figure, bathed in shadows, drenched in light, stood by the cliff side. A swirl of energy enveloped the youthful figure, dark hair rising in its currents, slowly lifting into the air. Gliding through the star speckled sky, joy etched its way into the childish face. The cool air blew against the night flyer's countenance. Speeding up, the dark figure rocketed through the air.  
  
Clouds slowly moved over the pale moon, covering it, hiding its light, bathing the world in darkness once again. A slight chill ran through the flyer's spine. Stopping midair, the figure searched about frantically. Disoriented, dark eyes panicked, unsure of where to go. An endless expanse of forest spread for miles beneath the hovering figure. Unsure of how to continue, a mask of concentration covered the child's face.  
  
The figure was caught between childlike adolescence, blooming towards adulthood. The eyes, darkened with knowledge no child should ever possess, a witness to more than eyes should have seen, clouded with tears as frustration reached its limit. Concerned merely with the way back, concentration was focused upon finding the way.  
  
A shot rang out, roaring through the land. Birds escaped their nests, deer and other animals ran from their homes, away from the invasive noise. Each seeking an escape from the threat that had made itself known within their territory.  
  
However, the one creature that did not belong, the night flyer, was also caught up in the occurrences. For as the deafening sound of the shot rang out, the lone figure in the sky plummeted to the ground, mouth open in an unheard scream.  
  
~*~  
  
Alright, ::looks up:: that's about all you guys wanted to read for a little bit right? No need in going any further in this chapter. So, I'll see you guys with the next chapter. Mind you, action-al angst is all over my next two chapters. Just my quick warning. And if this seemed repetitive to you, the whole reason for restating Gohan's childhood adventures to the Brief boys will be shown a bit later. Who knows, ya might have picked up on it already, but either way, hope ya enjoyed the chapter. Ja'  
  
BTW, many thanks to all of you who take time to review or email me. It's always good to hear from you guys. Here are a few things I need to say in response to a few reviews.  
  
ANDROID 71: Evil? ::smirks:: I thought this one was relatively nice. Didn't you?  
  
SADISTIC GOHAN: Love that name! Anyway, thanks for all those compliments, it made my day to see someone comment like that on my work. As for Gohan/Videl romance, my story is an angst fic. I have no current plans to add romance into it. My story is Gohan's plight to discover and deal with the truth. Plus all my nice added angst. Anyways, thanx again!  
  
IAN: That was my plan from the beginning . . . But its good to know you agree. And tell your sister I'm glad she found that amusing.  
  
FAITH: Thanks! I'm glad you like! As for the discovery . . . not yet. But it's coming.  
  
HEIDI: Ahh! Someone has questioned of Piccolo. Well, first off, I'd like to thank you for making me think on him a bit more. I always did love the Piccolo/Gohan relationship. He isn't as good in my fic as he is in the anime so far. He merely began working to save Earth because of his desire to take it over, not be ruled by someone else. However, as time passed, he was surpassed by Goku and the others many times over. Protecting his other half (Kami) in battles such as Garlic Jr. was another one of his motivations. And then, finally his two mergings played roles too. However, some more stuff about Piccolo will be revealed later on. I hope this has cleared some things up, but if not, just let me know!  
  
~*~  
  
MAILING LIST: Just email me or tell me in a review! Just say you wanna be on the WDIB mailing list and give me your email address!  
  
~*~  
  
SNEAK PEEK: Finally! Let's get a taste of the next chapter's angst. [BTW, to answer a question . . . the scenes below are always pulled straight from the next chapter. However, if the time comes that I don't have the next one done, then there won't be a sneak peek. These might be a bit rough because they are unedited, but its directly copied and pasted from the next chapter's completed text.]  
  
"She could feel the heat drain from her body as her hot crimson blood poured from the deep calculated cut, drenching her blue gi top, transforming it into a twisted purple."  
  
"A pained cry escaped Gohan's lips as his eyes widened. Slowly, he lost all control over his body as the fire of pain spread throughout his form, numbing him. His consciousness hung in the balance . . ." 


	15. Chapter 15: False Illusions

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, it characters, or anything in it; nor do I own any other licensed product/item that may appear throughout this fan fiction piece.  
  
AN: Sorry this took so long, but I must ask that I not receive derogatory remarks about the length of time it takes for a chapter to be released. I've been really busy lately, fully unable to work on anything. So please, refrain from bashing me, at least give me the reason of a doubt. Not accuse me of dropping everything and such. If you want me to release, let me know you are reading by a nice and polite email or review or im. Not yelling at me, blaming me, accusing me and cursing at me. That just makes me want to refrain from publishing my work. Notes on releases and such can be found in the bio of my profile. Those will tell you just why I'm not releasing and other important notes on my works here. As much as I enjoy writing, I'm not being paid for this and it isn't the only thing I have to do. I am a full time university student and involved in a lot of things. Anyway, here is chapter 15. Be wary of the warnings below. Thanks.  
  
Warnings: Violence, Abuse, Molestation, and Un-consented Underage Sex (aka Rape) This extends over Chapter 15 and 16 and will be revisited in a few more chapters. If this unsettles you, a summary of events will be included at the top of Chapter 17. If you can't wait, you can email me or tell me in a review to email you a summary of the events in this chapter.  
  
Chapter 15  
  
A cold wind blew across the land, more chilling than the Artic winds, cutting through the blankets on the ground and the bodily protection of the heart. Its freezing gust easily coated the warmth of the fire, extinguishing the dancing flames from existence. The golden glow of the fire quickly ceased to exist, coating the sleeping figure beside its warm circle in the darkness of the night.  
  
Gohan jolted awake, a chill running through his body, his heart pounding. Looking about frantically, he found the sleeping bag next to him empty. Panicked, he called out. "Cass?????" Scrambling to his feet, he searched about. "CASS?" His cries echoed through the valley, searching for the ears of the youthful Cassandra.  
  
Breathing deeply, he closed his eyes in concentration. He could quickly find his sister's signal, but a number of things about her signal chilled him even more. It was as if ice had encased his heart as he rose into the air, rushing to her location. Not only was her energy signal low, but panicked. There were also four other signals with her, full of emotion . . . of lust . . . darkness . . . and desire. . .  
  
~*~  
  
Hesitantly, Cassandra opened her eyes to the bright light. Blinking to focus, she began to look around. Noticing she was in an unknown room, she thought hard. The last thing she remembered was flying off, planning to practice flight and show Gohan that she could do it. She had been trying so hard over the past few days, but the slightest thing could take away her concentration, thus the gunshot had caused her to fall. Sighing, Cassandra moved to sit up, only to find herself stuck. Looking up, she realized that she was tied to the table. The icy shards of fear began to trickle into her blood, her spine alight with chills.  
  
Pulling at her bonds, she attempted to free herself. Scenes from movies flashed through her mind. Thoughts of mass murderers, psycho killers, and every other thought from her late night horror movies sprung to mind. 'I've got to stop watching those movies.' She thought humorously. 'Go always said that it would corrupt my brain . . .' With that thought, her head shot up. Gohan . . . Looking about, she was caught in a conflicting current of emotions. Relief that he hadn't been captured. Fear that he was there and she didn't know it. Apprehension at what would happen if he found out. Terror at what she was there for.  
  
The sound of muffled voices brought her attention to her surroundings. A wooden door opened as four men walked into the room. Fixing a glare upon her face, hiding any fear, she stared at her captors. The four barely paid attention to her until they had made their way to her.  
  
The early morning light began to cascade through the open widows of the cabin, illuminating the log cabin. The streaming light danced upon the hard wood floor and everything it hit. Silently, Cassandra began to study the group. They weren't amazingly old, perhaps late teens, early twenties; each dressed in an array of camouflaged attire. Slowly, she gazed at each of the men, the fear within her growing in bounds as she took in their self- confident smirks and their lusty ki.  
  
The leader of the group was about six feet tall; his long ebony hair was pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. His emerald eyes gleamed as he looked at her form upon the table. His tan skin glistened in the early morning light illuminating a single scar running down his left arm, visible by his black tank top and camouflage army pants. The sound of his black boots resonated through the room as he approached her. Gently bringing his hand to her face, caressing her jawbone with a delicate touch, his tongue glided across his lips. His glowing orbs taking in her preadolescent figure with a lust filled gaze.  
  
Her sapphire eyes glowed with defiance as she looked back at him. No fear could be seen, her spirit flared as a fire within her. Her dark eyes narrowed at his appraising looks and jaunty glances he shared with his comrades as his face moved towards hers. Spitefully, she spat upon him, her eyes flaring with indignance and spite. She was sure of what they had planned, and she would not give up with a fight. Deep within her mind, the words of a now dead intruder echoed through her head (1). The mocking voice echoing within her ears as her captor's rough hand slapped her cheek hard. Ignoring the pain of his hit, she merely glared at him.  
  
The other three men merely watched the events with self satisfied smirks upon their faces. A large blonde haired man stepped towards her stationary figure. Moving to the head of the table, he grinned at the leader. His large form took up a deal of space as he moved to hold her in place. His light blue eyes glinted with dark desires like the ice that ran through his veins as he reached to a nearby table for a long curved knife. Handing the blade over to his leader, a feral grin appeared on his face, matching the gleam in his crystal eyes.  
  
The other two men stood away from the girl wearing matching feral grins. The shorter of the pair possessed dark brown hair that came to the top of his ears and hazel eyes distorted by dark intentions. Large muscles protruded his statuesque form, revealed by the olive green muscle tee and military pants. His partner wore the same, only his shirt was a dark tan, offsetting his dark complexion. His black hair was cut in a military fashion, his dark brown eyes filled with cold hatred. The pair merely stood by the wall, content with watching their leader and comrade.  
  
The cold glint of the metal blade reflected in the dark blue orbs of the child upon the table. Although fear ran rampant in her blood, her cold façade never altered. She would not show her captors her fear. She knew they would merely thrive off of it. Nor would she display her pain. A deep red handprint on her face seemed to throb as her nerves buzzed with pain. Watching the leader's emerald eyes as he played with the blade, she was sure of what would happen there in that secluded log cabin, but she had hope. For deep in the neighboring woods, her savoir lay asleep.  
  
Although she knew her brother was ignorant to her disappearance, she knew she had to focus. Concentrating, she silently cursed her inability to find her brother's energy signal. Instead, she gathered her own energy, heightening her signal. A slight lavender glow surrounded the girl upon the cold table as her eyes closed tightly. She hadn't been working with energy long, but she was sure that if she pushed her energy up as if she were to fly, she could catch her brother attention.  
  
The purple aura disappeared as she allowed her energy so shrink to normal before she raised it yet again. The four other occupants in the room stared in shock as the girl was surrounded by lavender glow. Glaring, the leader slapped the girl once more, yelling at her to stop. His hands roughly held her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. A certain fire entered his deadly green eyes as he released his hold. Instead, his fingers gently traced their way from her left shoulder to the center of her swanlike neck by way of the collarbone. Holding her gaze, he brought the cold metal of the curved knife along his traced path. A line of crimson blood spilled from the deep cut as he slowly traced blow her collarbone, careful not to kill his trapped quarry.  
  
Fire seemed to consume the left side of her body as the cold metal dug into her skin, tracing its deadly path at an achingly slow pace. The heat of the pain and blood in contrast of the cold metal blade shocked her system causing chills to sweep through her form. Cassandra could feel her façade weakening. The pain was excruciating, worse was the devilishly slow pace her tormentor had set. With relief she felt as he reached the end of her collarbone and center of her thin throat. Instead of continuing to the other side or just slitting her throat, he backed off. Slowly, a single stormy blue eye opened to meet his laughing green ones. She could feel the heat drain from her body as her hot crimson blood poured from the deep calculated cut, drenching her blue gi top, transforming it into a twisted purple.  
  
His dark eyes mocked her, laughing at her prone form, as he stepped back to survey his work. The two men by the wall merely grinned at the spectacle, their murmured conversation lost upon her. It was as if time stood still as the leader traced a finger upon the blade, wiping away some of the crimson liquid. Bringing it to his lips, his tongue darted out to meet the child's essence. Delight flooded his face as he tasted her life's liquid. Setting the knife down, he moved towards the girl up on the table. His meticulous gate slowed along with time as a burst of light lit the room as the front door burst open with a roar of winds.  
  
The light in the door was quickly shadowed as a form appeared, outlined at first, then slowly more detail as it approached the doorway. As soon as it was visible, a pained grin appeared upon Cassandra's face, joy dancing in her eyes. Yet worry clouded them as well as she took in the figures appearance.  
  
There in the doorway was her brother. His spiky black hair in pure disarray, most of the long locks had escaped his ponytail. His black eyes were wild and his face contorted in a mask of rage. The thick scent of blood hit his animal like senses immediately. Locking eyes with his sister, he could tell of her pain. Knowing the blood as hers, a deep growl escaped his lips. To any observer, the boy would easily look like a rabid animal, nearly foaming at the mouth with pure burning rage at the scene. His long tail waved behind him, a visible outlet at his anger. His hands were clenched at his side as he glared at the leader.  
  
Slowly, he walked further into the room, his eyes never wavering from his sister's green eyed captor. Ignoring the other men, he headed straight towards the leader. Glaring at him, Gohan snarled. "Let my sister go, now." Those simple words were spoken with quiet seething anger, enough to chill the hearts of even the coldest man.  
  
However, the leader merely glanced at the boy as if he were an insignificant bug. Passing off the youthful fighter as the child that his body proclaimed, never taking the age and power his eyes and voice spoke of into consideration. With a bemused smile, he looked towards the men standing by the wall, a silent signal passing between them by a nod.  
  
Gohan knew what was going on, his instincts kicking into high gear as he felt to two men approach him from behind. Holding still, he waited until they were close before dropping into a crouch and kicking their legs from beneath them, causing them to hit the ground roughly. Making his stand once more, he glared at the leader, awaiting more attacks.  
  
Part of him called for vengeance, just as it had years ago when his family was threatened that fateful Christmas. The part that made his blood race, ready for battle, ready to destroy the threat. The half of his soul that asked supplied him with murderous thoughts and fueled his power. It was his dark half, his inner demon. It gave him his golden transformations, his darkness, and most importantly, his power. It was his dark and animalistic side that called to his heart, called for destruction, for revenge.  
  
The other half of him begged him not to kill, not to maim and slaughter the foul presences within the cabin on the hillside. It was his light half, the part of him that was sensible. It was the contradicting portion of his soul. It had no desire to kill, no desire to fight. He loved his sister, but this half of his soul fought against the golden transformations, reminding him of emotions such as guilt, sorrow, humanity. It was his light and humane side that called to his mind, called for sanity, for peace.  
  
The two halves of his soul battled within his heart and mind, fighting for dominance, fighting for the ability to control the fate of the day. Back and forth they battled, the man child's power rising and falling with the change in dominance, his emotions swelling, his anger rising, his humanity fading.  
  
Gohan stood there, ignoring the moans of the two behind him as they stood. His dark eyes flickered back and forth between his captive sister and her captor. "I said, let her go." Venom laced his words as he hissed them to the dark haired leader.  
  
"Hey Sen, let me have a go with him, huh?"  
  
"Shut up, baka, and stay with the girl." The leader, Sen, called to the blonde haired man beside the girl. His emerald eyes merely stared at the boy, the two locked in a glare. Their attention solely focused on the other, their eyes never leaving the other.  
  
Behind Gohan, the two men had risen to standing position. They merely observed their boss and the child glaring back and forth. Nudging his companion, the dark skinned man murmured. "Yo, whacha think that is?"  
  
Following his partner's gaze, he noticed a major physical oddity in the child. Like a cat, his curious hazel eyes followed the wavering appendage. With feline grace, he pounced, his rough hands wrapping around the slender length. Tightening his grip, his fingers dug into the golden brown tail as he pulled upon it, waiting for it to come off. Instead, a pained cry escaped Gohan's lips as his eyes widened. Slowly, he lost all control over his body as the fire of pain spread throughout his form, numbing him. His consciousness hung in the balance as the henchman applied more pressure upon his extra appendage.  
  
Everyone's eyes were upon the child as he fell upon his knees, his eyes wide with pain, hazily covered as he began to slip into unconsciousness. A startled gasp escaped his captor's lips as the connection was made. "Uh, Boss? This thing is real yo!" A large grin spread upon his countenance as he slowly applied an increasing amount of pressure on the furry appendage. "The kid has a tail!" He chuckled as he faced his partner.  
  
Sen's eyes narrowed as he noticed the child's slow descent into unconsciousness. "Quit it you fools. Keep him awake. I want him to see what we do to his sister." Carefully he watched as the men looked at him questionably. Shrugging, the pair moved from the boy, releasing his tail in the process. Sen's dark eyes widened at their action. Moving with amazing speed, he grabbed the appendage. "You stupid fuckers! Don't let go of the damn thing. It's his weakness. Just don't pull it to much right now. I want him to watch as his sister is defiled. Got it?" His words were laced with barely restrained anger.  
  
A careful exchange of the tail was done, making sure both of the men had the child weakened and subdued. Sen merely moved toward the girl. Her eyes were cloudy with tears, knowing that her hope had been lost. Her sole beacon of light was shut down, prey to a weakness she had once used so many years ago. She knew that they were both at the mercy of this man and his team. Guilt played within Cassandra's heart as she looked at her brother, unable to acknowledge Sen's hands upon her young body. He was upon his knees, his tail firmly held by the two men by the wall. His head, upon her brother's own will, was up, watching the actions, watching her. Locking eyes, she could see the pain and torment. It was far worse than it had ever been; his soul was far more torn then before. Faintly she wondered if anything could repair the damage done, but no one had said they would get out of this alive.  
  
Unable to look into her brother's eyes, she turned her dark blue orbs to the wall, denying the cold air that hit her upper torso as the top half of her gi was ripped from her body. Ignoring the waves of pain as the material tore from her wound, the once congealed blood disturbed, moving to flow freely once more. Blocking out the rough feel of his hands upon her naked and underdeveloped chest, caressing her as she had once believed would only come with tender hands, love, and adulthood. Tears flowed from her eyes as the hopelessness locked within her brother's eyes hit a cord deep within her, her soul flaring as she sought to fight from utter defilement at the hands of the soulless bastard before her.  
  
Gohan merely watched his mind and body numb, unwilling to realize the truth. He was defenseless as a newborn baby, his sister preparing to suffer more. He had lost contact with her midnight blue eyes must moments before, his soul cried for that familiar contact once more.  
  
Helpless he could only watch as his beloved sister began to fight, her muscles tense as she moved upon the table. Her hands fought to free themselves of their bonds, her legs trashing about wildly in an attempt to strike her tormentor. Sen merely glared at her attempt, his fury rising. He had caught her, she was his. One of her feet finding contact with his jaw, knocking his head to the side. Wiping a small trace of blood from his lips, Sen's anger rose immensely. She had wounded him. His left hand shot out, grabbing her legs as they made for another attack at him, holding them still. His right hand once more finding sharp contact with her cheek. His furious voice echoing through the room. "Fucking bitch!"  
  
At the head of the table, the blonde-haired man secured his hold upon her arms as Sen roughly moved her legs. Together the two moved the girl to the bottom of the table before bonds secured arms and hands once more, paying no heed to her wound. Sen quickly took charge as soon as she was in proper position, upper body upon the table, her legs hanging off. With fervent ardor, he tore her remaining clothing from her body, exposing her to the cold morning air that seeped though the mountain home. Afterward, he quickly removed the restraining clothes of his lower anatomy.  
  
Her eyes widened as he moved to separate her legs. Each limb twisted with an attempt to escape his hold and inflict some sort of damage to the man. His hold upon her legs tightened with bruising pressure. Roughly spreading them, he moved between her long limbs. Locking eye to eye, his maniacal emeralds to her panicked sapphires. The fight was useless, for in that moment, Cassandra's lower anatomy flew to a fire of pain. Her screams dying on her lips.  
  
Just three months shy of thirteen years old, Cassandra's innocence was stolen by a heartless man in the middle of no where, nothing but the haunted obsidian eyes of her tormented brother and the maniacal green ones that would fill her nightmares for years to come, to comfort her.  
  
  
  
(1)Reference to Chapter 7: "Boy, whacha gonna do? Whacha gonna do when I fuck your mom? Then maybe I'll let my partner have your sister. Or maybe you. Whacha gonna do boy?"  
  
~*~  
  
Mailing List: You know the deal. Email or tell me in a review . . . to add you to the WDIB update list and give me your email address.  
  
~*~  
  
Sneak Peek: Sorry, there really isn't much I can give you of decent quality. I had a very difficult time with this chapter and with the next (which I'm currently working on).  
  
"All of the power that came with his nightmares, his unknown past, and his double sided mine was stripped from him in moments, all due to a single slender appendage held in the hands of a heartless monster."  
  
"As he moved away from the table, straightening his clothes after his violent act, she looked towards her brother. The tearful pairs of eyes locked across the room, a soft comfort waving through her consciousness, tinged with pain at knowing that comfort came at the price of him watching her corruption, helpless to save her."  
  
"White hot pain surged through his blood as a deafening 'snap' echoed in the room." 


	16. Chapter 16: Broken Dreams

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, it characters, or anything in it; nor do I own any other licensed product/item that may appear throughout this fan fiction piece.  
  
WARNING: RAPE, VIOLENCE/ABUSE, CRUDE SPEECH, AND DEATH!!! You have been warned. Please follow accordingly.  
  
AN: Sorry this took so long. Finals for college and then the holidays were rather time consuming. Then my internet explorer had to go and self destruct and my house computer had a meltdown. After that, my personal pc decided to crash as well. So, two computers down and no story work up. Anyways, here is the next chapter. As I have previously said, the warnings apply and a summary of this and its previous chapter will be given at the start of Chapter 17.  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter 16  
  
Her tears had long since dried; her voice nonexistent, silenced by the stress of her cries to the deaf Gods above and the closed hearts of those within the cabin. Her prone form lay upon the cold hard table, her glassy eyes blankly staring, unblinking, at the wall before her. Her body was numb with pain, her mind numb with torment. Her very innocence was torn from her without a second thought and fed upon as a man with hate filled green eyes moved within her restrained form. His pleasure was taken from her pain, his satisfaction stripping her of her dignity, her innocence, her pride and her self worth.  
  
In the shadows of the room, a pair of obsidian eyes held fast to the actions upon his sister. His eyes were slightly glazed as his gaze remained upon her, searching to lock with her eyes, searching for the familiar connection with the person who had been there for him no matter what. With horrified fascination he watched the defilement of his sister. Despite all the times she had comforted him after his haunting dreams, supported his motivations, made him laugh and made him smile, he was completely unable to help her. All of the power that came with his nightmares, his unknown past, and his double sided mind was stripped from him in moments, all due to a single slender appendage held in the hands of a heartless monster.  
  
As nails mercilessly dug into the soft golden brown fur of his tail, his body was wracked with a paralyzing pain, his eyes glazing over. It was by pure will and devotion that he remained conscious. As much as he hated to see what was happening to his sister, he was forcing himself to watch the events, punishing himself for what he could not prevent.  
  
Cassandra was unable to look at him, only dwell in the pain of her own predicament. A wave of disgust flooded her body as she felt him reach his satisfaction within her. However, relief soothed her body as he withdrew, hope leaking back into her world that the torment and violation was over. As he moved away from the table, straightening his clothes after his violent act, she looked towards her brother. The tearful pairs of eyes locked across the room, a soft comfort waving through her consciousness, tinged with pain at knowing that comfort came at the price of him watching her corruption, helpless to save her. However, the words of their arguing captors cut through the silence falling upon the children's ears. The three remaining members of their group fighting over who should gain a turn for satisfaction in the girls destroyed innocence and the boy's crumbling life.  
  
Gohan's eyes widened with shock as their words fell upon his sensitive hearing. Their affirmations of accomplishments used as chips in their persuasion for the next turn. The argument merely fed to the boy's underlying rage. Stiffly, he made another attempt to escape his captors grasp. The only reward to his cries was another tug upon his weak appendage. Only this time, it came with a final penalty.  
  
White hot pain surged through his blood as a deafening 'snap' echoed in the room. Unconsciousness, more demanding then ever, swarmed upon him, attempting to take away his current world. Waves of pain and nausea swarmed his body, all originating from his broken tail. Fiercely, through sheer will and unmatched determination, he forced himself to stay awake. As pleasant as darkness, numbness to the pain and blindness to his sister's corruption, seemed, he would not give in. Instead he forced himself to his feet. Around him, the children's captors watched as the tormented boy rose to his feet. The overwhelming pain was obvious as he was knocked to his feet with a hard blow to his lower back by one of the men who had gained possession of his tail.  
  
Drained of energy, wracked with pain, fighting off darkness, Gohan was unable to make it to his feet. His body ached for his throbbing limb's release. However, with strain, he was able to raise his head to meet his sister's pained and worried eyes. Pushing past his pain, he cracked a smile at her, attempting to reassure her. He knew that there was much more pain to come; if only he could get free, then they would have a chance.  
  
As the argument drew to a close, the man who had held so tightly on the boy's tail won out, being given the 'honor' of his free rein with the broken girl. Handing off the golden appendage to his comrade, the brown haired man took his place by Cassandra. Leaning down, he quietly spoke to her, each of his words causing the child to fall farther into her own pit of despair. These words fell solely upon her ears, for her brother's sensitive hearing was deafened with the roar of pain and the threat of unconsciousness. Yet, she gave him no pleasure in a reaction, her glassy eyes continuing to look off into unknown space, not acknowledging the man or his words.  
  
Cassandra barely reacted to the harsh slap that resounded through the room as her newest assaulter glared down at her prone form. Harsh words spewed out of his mouth, attacking her in any way he knew how. To him, she had been broken, incapable to fight him as she had with her previous attacker, Sen. Rather, she allowed herself to block out his words and the abuse he reined upon her as she lost herself in her own thoughts, becoming ignorant to that which occurred around her.  
  
Gohan's onyx eyes dropped to the floor, unable to watch the man as he vented anger and frustration on his sister. Instead, he gave in. He gave in to the overwhelming guilt that he found himself drowning in. He gave in to the pain the wracked his young body. But most importantly, and least notably at that point in time, he gave in to the dark part of his mind, the monster buried beneath the tattered layers of his soul. And thus, he surrendered to that darkness, knowing that one way or another, it would free them on the hell they were currently in.  
  
~*~  
  
The quiet sound of sobs echoed through the room, resounding out into the hallway, disappearing from his advanced hearing as he quietly shut the door, leaving his mate to her grief. Vegeta, the Prince that would never be King, noiselessly exited his residence, taking off into the early morning air. His mind was clouded with thoughts and emotions that remained unseen beneath his cold and hardened façade. It had been a long night, full of enlightenment and tears.  
  
The stories of Gohan had haunted him, the death of a possible true Saiyan warrior stayed at the edge of his mind, eating away at his concentration. Unable to sleep, he had asked for the story of the small warrior from Bulma, immediately resulting in tears. Now, hours later, he few out into the dawn with the full story weighing on his mind. It had shocked him, astounded him, of the truth. On his home planet, the death of a half breed would be nothing, nor would the death of a child, even if it was due to a blood relative. Yet, he had been on Earth so long, he had seen how family was acted out here, he knew of the power the child held.  
  
The child had fought for earth, just as his father had, and used that awesome power to destroy Garlic Jr., power that had been beyond comprehension at that time. Now, with the knowledge of Super Saiyan and the power that lay at his own fingertips, the power was not quite as shocking. Yet, at that time, the three year old boy had actually over powered Kakarott, the worlds first Super Saiyan and, as much as he hated to admit, the strongest being on Earth and possibly the universe. Only a few sparse moments of his life had he been ahead of the Earth raised Saiyan and Vegeta was five years older as well as far more experienced in both battle and training. A mere untrained three year old half-breed had out powered Kakarott without knowing it.  
  
A sigh was lost into the wind as he mindlessly flew into the raising sun. Radditz had been sent to Earth to gather his brother and join up with his fellow Saiyans, possibly teaming up to overcome Freiza. That simple mission had gone terribly wrong. Instead Kakarott had no knowledge of his origin and the conclusion to the task was devastating. That day the child that he had heard so much of had died, lost in something so simple, a mere explosion. It wasn't even a death worthy of his tainted Saiyan blood. And now, all because of the twisted intentions of one of his own race, a son, a warrior, one of his own people had been destroyed, lost so that nothing could ever bring the child back.  
  
~*~  
  
Time slowed, the mere seconds that it took to ruin such an abominable act of defilement put to an end seemed to slow down to minutes. In reality, the End was much faster than the beginning, but it was only the end of the event, not of the suffering or the mental anguish it had resulted in. No, the scars would live on much longer, taking far longer to heal, but the End came rather suddenly. All because of one tiny mistake, a mere slip, and the End came . . . at last. . .  
  
The sharp pains and dire need of unconsciousness had subsided, though the throbbing of his damaged appendage made it's self known with painful persistence. His ears had cleared of the deafening roar of his pain. Now it was the roar of his anger, the hot and dark anger that flowed through his blood, that was spurned on by each blow the sadistic man made to his sister. Each of those painful hits was punctuated with his thrust into her pain weary body. Gohan's nausea at the man's desire for her screams and the fight of the rape had subsided with the coming of anger.  
  
Gohan had seen his sister fall into a pit of silence and despair, unable to fight her way out. The blows were taken without acknowledgement, nothing of her moving by her own will. Her dark blue eyes were barely visible, the pupils were dilated, almost blacking out the blue of her iris, as those glassy orbs stared at the blank wall of the room. The fire that had always sparked within her was gone, snuffed out on that fateful morning. And in all this, Gohan had seen. His young eyes had watched as she was raped and battered, taken in her anguish, felt her ki slowly disappearing. She was dying from the inside out.  
  
And in one moment, it all changed.  
  
A slew of curses directed towards Cassandra flew from the current rapist's mouth, his actions spurned on by the supportive cries of his comrades. His leader merely leaned against the wall, watching with a stony countenance. Yet, this did not hinder the man's actions. With each thrust and blow to the girl, he received loud jeers from his audience. Excitement was flowing through the room as he took his satisfaction.  
  
The two men that cheered on his actions continued their own abuse towards the girl, their own anticipation growing at the scene before them. The two became lost in their own excitement, lost in a haze of energy that flowed around them. Their cheers grew louder and their exhilaration at the horrifying actions growing with every vile act. Their minds were enveloped with their own demented thoughts, carried away by the actions performed in front of their eyes. Their own darkness consumed them, leaving them vulnerable to the world outside of their personal darkness, unaware.  
  
For Gohan, the sensation was rather odd. For the majority of the morning, a tightening pressure had dug into his golden tail, causing the appendage to slowly go numb. Then after it had been broken, the pain had been a constant throbbing, not allowing any other feeling to truly permeate his senses. Yet, one feeling did manage its way through. A feeling he hadn't believed he would feel anytime soon.  
  
Slowly, the pressure on his extra appendage lightened until it was no more. Energy surged through his blood as his body regained its efficient standard once again. Shocked, Gohan felt as his body returned to a normal state, slightly sore from the abuse he had suffered and his tail still feeling as if on fire. But all of this was dulled by the return of his energy.  
  
As the shock wore off, Gohan looked around the room, seeing that no attention was being paid to him. A twisted grin appeared on his youthful face, displaying the hardened warrior that his heart had transformed into. His attention immediately gravitated to his sister and her current abuser. With a deep growl, he launched himself into the air, tearing the man away from his sister. Immediately, Gohan took up combat stance in front of the abused girl, his tail painfully wrapping itself around his waist for its own safety. A smirk played upon his lips as he took in the shocked faces of those around him. His dark eyes met with his sister's, locking, displaying his determination to save them and prevent any harm from coming to her again.  
  
With a deafening roar, Gohan summoned his strength, his dark battle-ready side calling forth the golden abilities that would make sure that all of the torment would end. Golden light surrounded his childish form, his obsidian eyes transforming into a swirling jade. All around him, the men that were advancing on him were blown back by the energy that radiated from him. Fury roared in his veins, drowning out any pleas of humanity that his lighter half cried for. With that, he launched himself at the men who had tormented him and committed unspeakable crimes toward his sister, intent on ending it.  
  
With his blinding speed, Gohan made his way to the largest man in the room, the one that had helped hold his sister down on the table. Disappearing from their human eyes, he again reappeared in their vision, his right leg poised in mid air. On the floor, the now headless body lay twitching as blood fell from the large wound, painting the ground red. Slowly and calmly, Gohan's leg returned to the ground as he fell into his normal stance once more. As he looked up, his single bang fell from his face, revealing his hardened deadly eyes to his next victim.  
  
Once again he blurred from their vision. The dark skinned man looked about the room, his body shaking with fear of what he had seen. In mere seconds, everyone in the room watched as he fell to the ground, coughing up blood. Gohan stood behind the man, his fist protruding through the man's midsection. Slowly, he retracted his fist, allowing the man to lie upon the ground, a river of red flowing through his open wound and mouth.  
  
His dark jade eyes ran across the length of his blood covered arm, examining every inch of his stained flesh. The two men left merely stared at the boy, horror covering their faces. They had just seen their two comrades destroyed, the stench of their blood coating the room heavily. Gaining his desire of self preservation, the brown haired man moved to attack Gohan. Dodging the man's every attempt, a deep smirk set upon Gohan's face. With controlled strength, Gohan attacked him, each blow damaging the man beyond comprehension for the human mind.  
  
Stepping back from his newest assault, Gohan's head cocked to the side, taking in the bruised and battered form before him. The rapist was nearly beyond recognition, his hair darkened by the blood that leaked from his destroyed face. Ribs jutted out of their broken confinement, his arm twisted behind him, the limb at an impossible angle. One of his legs lay crushed, flattened by Gohan's extensive strength. A twisted grin appeared on his youthful face as he leaned over the man. "You will never hurt anyone ever again . . ." His voice was deadly quiet, the whispered words carrying more weight than any yell could have. The man, barely alive on the cold floor, nodded, hoping to save his life with this agreement. "And I know this, because you will not live to see the light of another day . . ." With those words, Gohan held the palm of his hand out, a golden ball of energy forming slowly. Disregarding the man's feeble attempts to stand or get away, Gohan released the blast which exploded immediately upon contact.  
  
Finally, Gohan turned his attention to the emerald eyed leader, Sen. The two pairs of green eyes locked in a battle for dominance. Sen had watched the downfall of his comrades with a rather passive face, only his eyes betraying the turmoil that raged within him. He had just witnessed his partners-in-crime fall before a child, one who encompassed shocking abilities and amazing strength. He could not comprehend the child's power. He had spent years studying the martial arts, his wealth and power buying whatever he could desire. If those means would not deliver his wants, then he merely took them, like the boy's sister. Now he knew, you could not mess with this boy, but there was no turning back now.  
  
Gohan stared at the man who had led the attack on his sister, the man who had stolen Cassandra's innocence, the man who was the cause of the pain and suffering that he and his sister were going through now. Unsatisfied blood lust pounded in his veins, his blood running hot. His desire to avenge his sister overrode anything that could have interfered with his course of action now. The monster behind his power had taken over, Gohan was no more.  
  
Stealthily, Gohan strode up to the ebony haired man. Cocking his head to the side, he spoke, his words cutting like a razor as he asked the one question that could have very easily driven him insane. "Why?"  
  
Sen merely stared at the boy. He had figured on a torturous death, not questions. Taking this as a chance to survive, he decided to play the boy's game. "Why what?"  
  
Gohan's voice deepened, the force behind his words causing it to come out semi-hysterical. "What do you mean why what? Don't you see what you have done? Why? You ask me what I mean??? I am asking you why! Why would you do this? Why did you have to do this?" His arms widely waving towards his sister, still bound to the table, her dark eyes clear, watching them intently. "And why her? Why my sister???"  
  
Sen knew then that there was nothing he could do. The boy in front of him was a child, but he knew that he would be dead, no matter his answer. The youth's questions raced through his head. Asking himself those questions, he realized the truth. There was no answer. "There is no reason, no answer to your questions boy. It is not a matter of why I did what I did, but a question of how. I did it roughly and forcefully, tearing her insides as I pushed myself into that girl you call your sister. Look at her, can you deny that she is one hell of a piece of ass. Don't you want her?" Sen knew of his fate, but he would push the child's buttons. "Go ahead, take her and ravish her. It doesn't matter much anymore; she is nothing but trash now. Mere scraps left for the taking. If you want, finish it. I won't tell."  
  
Gohan had known anger, he had known rage, but even then, the fury that swept through him was indescribable. Not only had the man defiled Cassandra, but he was proud of it, soliciting her to him. Blind with hate, Gohan wrapped his hand around Sen's throat before levitating into the air. Forcefully, Gohan threw the green eyed man to the ground. The flooring collapsed beneath the force of the throw. Gohan gazed at the form that tried to stand, caught in the rubble of the stone foundation and wooden floor. Slowly landing on the ground once more, Gohan approached him, the soft click of his fighting boots echoing through the still room.  
  
His black boot, covered in the blood that had spilled on the floor that day, gently pressed upon the man's throat. Lightly, Gohan applied an increasing amount of pressure as Sen writhed beneath him, attempting to get free of the slow crushing force of the child's boot. The two males locked eyes, one panicking green set pleading with cold and inhuman jade orbs.  
  
Cassandra had watched her brother bloody the room, ruthlessly killing the group of men that had caused such chaos in their lives. Though she should have felt anticipation with Gohan's every sadistic move, Cassandra merely felt sick, each death burning its way deep into her heart. She would never forget this day, not because she was raped, not because of the violence against her, but because it was the day that so many things had died. It was not just her innocence killed, but her brother's. For this time, Gohan was destroying, uncaring for anything, only for the vengeance.  
  
Coming around from her shock, she watched as the man who had caused it all lay upon his back in a pile of rubble that had once been the floor. Her brother stood over him, a malicious smile looked incredibly wrong on his young face. Instead of the friendly obsidian orbs that had always shone with laughter and love, hard green eyes stared, transfixed on the slow death of her initial rapist. Unable to take it anymore, she forced herself to speak, her voice rough from the abuse to her vocal cords. "Stop!" Unable to yell, her voice cropped to a pathetic whisper, her tears making themselves known on her cheeks as well as in her voice. "Please, Gohan, Stop . . ."  
  
Gohan looked up, shock plainly written upon his face. His jade eyes lightened as he looked upon her struggling form. Looking down, he stepped back in shock. All around the room he saw nothing but red, the red of the blood he had spilled. His nostrils were heavy with the overpowering sent of blood. Stumbling, Gohan made his way to his sister. Picking up the blood covered knife, he sliced through her bonds, freeing her of her restraints.  
  
Gently, Gohan reached out to his sister, his skin brushing against her. To his dismay, she immediately pulled away from him, her face filling with fear, her eyes haunted with the day's occurrences. Seeing her frightened reaction, Gohan immediately pulled away, backing up against the wall, his wide eyes never moving from her quivering form. She, who should have trusted him most, pulled away, flinched from his touch. Large tears filled his eyes as the stone jade leaked to deep obsidian, his gold hair bleeding black. Slowly, he approached her once more, speaking in a soft and soothing tone.  
  
"Cass . . . it'll be okay. I'm gonna get you out of here now . . . please?" At this last word, such desperation poured from his voice. "Let's get out of here," he said as he moved to pick her up from the cursed table. At first she flinched, but before he could move away, Cassandra grabbed a hold of his arm, her distressed midnight orbs calling for him to stay, to help her get away from the hell they were in.  
  
Gently, Gohan lifted his sister into his arm, cradling her battered form to his chest protectively. "I'm sorry Cass . . . I'm going to fly us out of here, so if I hurt you, I'm sorry, but we need to get out of here now." A serious look crossed his face as he surveyed the room once more. Two of the men were dead, one was on his way, and the final one, the leader, glared at them as he picked himself up from the debris he had been laying in.  
  
Calmly, Gohan walked out of the door, into the morning sun. Slowly increasing his energy, he formed a safe barrier around them so that the wind would not bother his sister as they flew. Moving into the air, Gohan paused, looking back at the cabin. Sen's face immediacy appeared at one of the windows, glaring at their forms in the sky. With his advanced sight, Gohan was able to see Sen's mouth move as he spoke, the voice left in the morning winds.  
  
"I will be back . . . one day . . . for you and for her . . ."  
  
Anger once again surged through his body. Silently, Gohan concentrated on forming a ball of energy. Not quite sure of what he was doing without allowing his blood thirsty side to take over, Gohan launched the energy at the cabin. However, instead of just a ball of energy, he unleashed a steady beam of silvery blue energy. At amazing speed, the light streaked across the sky towards the cabin, detonating upon impact. Several explosions rocked the land, debris shooting out into the wind. The energy barrier around the two young teenagers disintegrated any that headed their way.  
  
Without looking at his sister, Gohan rose higher into the sky. Clouds of smoke were now billowing from the destroyed building. Staring at the demolished land, Gohan whispered a few words which echoed into the silent morning. "Now . . . it is over . . . for now . . ."  
  
With that, Gohan streaked through the morning sky, intent on gathering their things at the campsite and immediately moving to another location, one far away from the horrors of that day.  
  
~*~  
  
Behind Vegeta, the sun had risen, painting the sky in pinkish hues of the dawn. Sailing through the skies, the Saiyan Prince lost himself in his thoughts of what could have been. It was rather pointless to think of things that could never be changed, but for one of the few times in his life, he felt guilty. It was one of his own that had destroyed the child and the amazing power that he possessed. It was by his own order that Radditz had come to Earth, intent on finding his brother and bringing him back. Blame also went to Radditz who had pulled incredibly stupid stunts. Muttering underneath his breath, Vegeta cursed the softness he was showing, blaming it on 'the onna and the brat.'  
  
Vegeta's attention was immediately pulled from his thoughts to the feeling that had been bothering him for most of the morning. Stretching out his senses, he searched for what could be bothering him. Finding nothing that interested him, he pushed them farther. Picking up the meager human kis, he found one weakening and then felt two disappear. Right as the two disappeared, a rush of wind slammed into him, knocking him to the ground.  
  
Cursing his lack of concentration in staying in flight, Vegeta once again took to the air, intent on discovering what had happened. It wasn't so much that the pathetic earthlings had died, but something was out of place about it. Something was slowly eating away at the edge of Vegeta's mind, slowly driving him mad. There was something amiss about it and he was determined to discover just what it was. [1]  
  
~*~  
  
Gohan's feet lightly touched down onto the fertile ground far away from the decimated cabin. After gathering their things at their campsite, Gohan immediately used all of his power to relocate quickly. A nagging feeling on his senses had him scanning the area, searching for what was bugging him. Finding a rather large ki full of turmoil and anger, Gohan's heart raced. He was in no condition to fight, barely fighting of unconsciousness in order to get him and his sister to safety. Looking at her, he knew that she was much worse off and guilt ate at him. He couldn't protect her . . .  
  
Lowering her tired form to the ground, Gohan immediately set up camp, fighting the blackness the threatened to consume him with every step. Fixing a tent for his sister, he laid his own sleeping back outside of it, intent on making sure nothing got to her again. A small blast of his energy sparked the fire. It may have been morning and summer, but a deep chill had settled on the two. Even the fire, which raged with steady warmth, could not chase the cold away from them.  
  
Once their camp was set, Gohan grabbed the first aid kit and hesitantly stepped towards his sister who was wrapped tightly in a blanket. She had not moved from her spot, her glassy eyes gazing out upon the crystal clear lake that lay close. "Cass . . ." he quietly called. As she turned to him, her eyes immediately fell upon the medical equipment. Scooting away, she quickly crossed her legs, fear coating her face. "That cut . . . it needs to stop bleeding and we have to make sure it doesn't get infected. Please Cass . . . let me help."  
  
Slowly approaching her, he took his seat beside her quivering form, opening the kit. Pulling out what he needed, he wet a rag with the water he had already heated in the fire. Locking eyes with his sister, he poured his reassurance to her, hoping to calm her. "Cass . . . this is going to hurt. But we need to clean it and close it."  
  
Pulling back the blanket from her chest, he let no shock or horror cross his face. Instead, he brought the wet material to the cut, slowly cleaning the blood from the skin. Each time it touched the wound, Cassandra winced, tears of shame and pain sliding down her face. Once the skin was washed of the blood, Gohan's eyes took in the cut. Grimacing, he noticed just how deep it had been. In some places he could almost see the bone, in other spots torn flesh hung from the jagged incision. Her blood, disturbed by his actions, once again leaked from the wound.  
  
One of his hands immediately reached to steady her quivering form as he brought out the spray of antiseptic. Once seeing the spray that had been used so many times for their scratches from spars, her eyes tightly closed, bracing herself for the pain that she knew was to come. As the spray hit her wound, Cassandra forced herself not to scream, instead, she found herself biting her lip as her brother took care of the knife wound.  
  
Gohan steadily applied the liquid spray, making sure that it had covered the entire wound, hoping that infection would not set in. Once thoroughly coated, Gohan put away the spray, gently washing away the blood that had escaped once more. Reaching into the pot of steaming water, Gohan withdrew a long needle. Cassandra's eyes widened but she remained braced. At that moment, Gohan was thanking his mother for all of the training they had received. After numerous lectures on their safety, she had finally showed them how to take care of almost any wound they could receive.  
  
Halfway into the stitching, Cassandra could stand it no longer, finally falling into her own pit of darkness. Gohan immediately allowed her limp form to lie down as he finished his work. Once done, he applied a cream made to fight infection and help healing before placing the bandages. The cut, extending from her shoulder junction to almost the center of her throat, following her collarbone, could have killed her. Luckily, it hadn't.  
  
His eyes drooping, Gohan carried his sister into her tent. After dressing her, he slipped her into her sleeping bag, exiting the tent and zipping her in. Unable to fight it any more, Gohan was able to carry himself to his sleeping bag before, gratefully, falling into the darkness that had threatened to consume him for the majority of their day.  
  
~*~  
  
Vegeta's sharp eyes ran over the scene. What had once been a mountain cabin was now nothing but scraps of wood and ash. Faintly, Vegeta could find the trace amounts of ki that had caused the explosion. The ki was unidentifiable to him and this was probably one of the more dangerous things about it. Stretching his senses to the max, Vegeta attempted to find the culprit, knowing that their energy level would have had to be far higher than the others. Instead, he found only the average kis of humans, excluding those of the Z-senshi and a few slightly higher ones. [2]  
  
With a last glance back at the rubble, Vegeta shot into the air once more. The mystery was still unsolved, but he had this slight feeling that he would discover just what it had been that day. For better or worse, he would find just what had been hiding in the veiling shadows of the forest. He would, one day, discover that missing link. And something, deep within him, told him that when he did, it would change the course of their lives as they knew them.  
  
~*~  
  
[1] Some people might call this a sixth sense, or in a DBZ it could be a seventh sense seeing as they do have ki sensing abilities. Vegeta can sense that something is missing from the natural balance of things. However, due to the ki blocker that is on Gohan's dog tags (that he never takes off), his ki is missing . . . aka a missing link. The fact that his ki is much greater than that of any humans is setting something off in his head, acknowledging that something is missing. One wouldn't feel such a sensation with that of an ordinary human because humans average something like a 2 to a 5.  
  
For those wondering why he's feeling this 'missing link' when no one else has, here are my reasoning. Vegeta was raised differently from anyone else in the anime, growing more and more focused with his body and senses. Even though he depended on a scouter, he is a more concentrated fighter in the series. His style and abilities note this. Saiyans (who to my guess have ape like genetics) have advanced senses and (in this fic) more animalistic tendencies. Animals themselves have a great inclusion into the feel of nature, making them more in tune to the rights and wrongs of their land. Thus, the feeling Vegeta gains is derived from his attention being focused on the particular area searching for something he can not feel by his ki instincts, instead, it is another instinct that is bothering him with the 'missing link.'  
  
[2] Slightly higher ones are general martial artists. For those who are wondering why Cass's ki is not sticking out, here is your answer. Yes, her ki would be higher than the rest because she has been training with Gohan for all of her young life (or most). Now, with her ability to control her energy and fly, her ki would be much more noticeable to those searching for it like Vegeta was. But, at this time she is injured and/or unconscious (if not close to it). So, her ki is dampened from is usual heightened state.  
  
~*~  
  
SNEAK PEEK: The next chapter is pretty much written, but needs major editing. Here are unedited clips from what I've got. The next chapter will also have the summary for Chapters 15 and 16. Enjoy!  
  
"And then, it happened. Gohan, as usual, had asked his sister if she was okay. Her response, as always, was a simple 'I'm fine.' By this time, Gohan's patience had worn thin and this was the last shred he had. Instead of the calm conversation he wished to have with her, he exploded."  
  
"Brother? No. That is what you are not. You are something my parents decided to take in, some freak that we can't get rid of."  
  
"Only a few times before had he ever seen such a transformation, each time had ended at a relatively destructive end. It was now that he understood the feelings deep within him. He had always felt as if something was missing, and since the merge, he knew just what it had been. He had known the truth." 


	17. Chapter 17: Shattered Reflections

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, it characters, or anything in it; nor do I own any other licensed product/item that may appear throughout this fan fiction piece.  
  
~*~  
  
SUMMARY OF CHAPTERS 15 AND 16:  
  
Cassandra went out in the middle of the night to practice flying, hoping to prove to herself and her brother that she could do it, leaving Gohan ignorant and asleep. During her flight, a gun sounds off, breaking her concentration in flight. Thus, she falls, and is captured by four men. Three men are lackeys to their leader, Sen, an ebony haired, green eyed man. After being captured, she is taken to their secluded cabin in the woods and tied down to a table.  
  
In teasing his captured prize, Sen slowly cuts her with a large knife, the gash extending from the joint of her shoulder and neck, following the curve of her collar bone, ending at the center of the neck. Cassandra found herself unable to fight the man off, so, in a moment of clear headed thought, began to raise and lower her energy repeatedly in order to gain Gohan's attention.  
  
Her plan succeeded as Gohan burst through the door, intent on finding who had hurt his sister. Just when Cassandra believes she has been saved, a twist of fate occurs. One of the lackeys discovers his weakness, his tail. Thus, Gohan is forced to submit and watch as Sen forced Cass to submit and rapes her. Then, he is followed by one of the lackeys as Cassandra is raped by the second man who derives sadistic pleasure from slapping her around.  
  
All the while, Gohan is forced to watch this; unable to find the strength to save her as his only weakness is exploited. Right before the second rape, Gohan's tail is broken, pushing Gohan that much closer to unconsciousness. After a heavy fight with his anger and frustration, Gohan submits himself to his darker half (unknown to him, his Saiyan side).  
  
Meanwhile, Vegeta is told the exploits of young Gohan Son. In this, he discovers the truth of how the child prodigy died inside of the spaceship. Bothered by the fact that one of his own race had participated in the death of the child, he leaves Capsule Corps for a night flight.  
  
Inside of the cabin, excitement runs high in the crowd. This excitement is what causes the man holding Gohan's tail to let go, freeing him of the debilitating pressure. Once his strength returns, he is free to save his sister. He pulls the man from his sister, ending her second rape. Going 'golden' (or Super Saiyan), he decapitates the man who had helped hold his sister down then punches through the midsection of the man who had held onto his tail and incidentally freed him. After a ruthless pounding on the second rapist, Gohan finishes him off with a ki blast before moving on to Sen.  
  
Slamming Sen through the floorboards and moving to crush his throat with his foot, strangling the man who had lead in the attack. It was this time that Cassandra moved to interrupt them, stopping Sen's death. Gohan suddenly returns to himself, moving out of his 'golden' state, haunted by the destruction he had reeked. Both Cassandra and Gohan then leave the cabin. In midair, Gohan looks back at the cabin where he sees Sen threaten them. In response, Gohan is able to launch a steady stream of energy, destroying the cabin as well as the four men inside.  
  
Carrying his sister, Gohan returns to their camp, gathering their things, and relocating them to another area, far away from the cabin. All this is done while he fights to remain conscious. Once in the new area, Gohan must perform first aid on Cassandra in order to insure that Cass's cut does not become infected. The depth and danger of the wound forced Gohan to sew it up. Midway through the process, Cassandra passes out from the pain and trauma of the day. After dressing his sister and putting her inside of her tent, he collapses on his sleeping bag outside of the tent, falling into unconsciousness.  
  
During his morning flight, Vegeta finds an unknown feeling tugging on his consciousness. Expanding his senses, he scans the energy signals of those around him, feeling as a weakened ki and another ki are suddenly extinguished from existence. At this same moment, he is knocked from the air by a rush of wind. Moving to discover what had happened, Vegeta finds himself at what had previously been a mountain home. Now, it was just a pile of ash and debris. Finding trace amounts of an unrecognizable ki, Vegeta feels an absence, something unexplainable missing. Intent on discovering just what was missing; Vegeta decides that it will come to him. And that one day, he would know just what it was, and it would change the course of their lives as they knew them.  
  
~*~  
  
AN: Okay, so it's not exactly short, but I tried. It is kind of hard to transform about 18 pages of work into a short summary. I believe I covered all of the points. Mind you, dialogue (which may come up later, I'm not sure) was excluded from this. I've been told what I wrote wasn't too bad, but I'm trying to accommodate anyone and everyone. Now, here is chapter 17.  
  
PLEASE NOTE: In the last chapter, Gohan did NOT ascend to Super Saiyan II, nor did he even go Ultra. He just transformed to a normal Super Saiyan. I promise you, any ascension he may have will be much more detailed.  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter 17  
  
The three-quarter moon had risen high into the night's sky, the stars twinkling against the midnight blue background. Slowly, Gohan's eyes opened but the blinding pain coursing down the length of his body caused him to immediately shut his eyes once more. Painfully, he rolled slightly, slightly opening his obsidian eyes to find a form behind him. There, in the silvery moonlight, he was able to see his sister realigning the bones of his tail and wrapping it in a bandage. Once she was done, she turned to him, a small smile playing on her lips.  
  
"I guess that hurt a bit more than me pulling it eh?"  
  
"Just a little bit Cass . . . just a little bit." Sighing, Gohan moved to stand up, the pain slowly ebbing away. To Gohan, it was nothing anymore. He had been in much more pain then that just the day before. Stretching his muscles, he stood, surveying their new camp. They were in a small clearing in relatively flat land, trees on one side and lake on the other. "Looks like I won't be throwing you off any cliffs here . . . but maybe the lake."  
  
Cassandra gave a small half smile as she limped towards the lake's crystal waters. A steady sound filtered through the trees. Looking towards one end, she found herself looking at a large waterfall. Delighted, Cassandra pointed it out to her brother. Then, suddenly, her demeanor changed. Looking shamefully down at the ground, she slumped back to camp. Gohan was rather disturbed by her behavior.  
  
"Cass, maybe you should go for a swim, clean up and all." He said gently, knowing that his words would bring up a very delicate subject. He had no clue how to handle a victim to what she had gone through. He may have been there, but he was pushing back the images of violence inflicted upon his sister as well as the violence he had caused. He knew that his sister's well being was the most important thing right now. Noticing she hadn't answered, he glanced over towards her, only to find her sitting at the edge of the lake, staring at nothing.  
  
"Hey," he said quietly as he moved to sit next to her. "I'm sorry Cass . . . if only I had been there sooner. I could have saved you. I'm sorry."  
  
Cassandra merely continued to look out at the water. Glancing at her brother, she sighed. "It's alright Gohan. I'm okay. Don't worry about me and don't blame yourself. I'm going to go lay down." With that, she stalked off, shutting the tent flap behind her.  
  
Shocked, Gohan merely stared at the water, unknowing of what to do. The cool night air played with his spiky locks as he lowered himself to the shore. It was almost like a night, years before, when he had lain upon their lake's shore at home. Yet it had been with his sister, the two of them talking and just enjoying the night. Those dark days seemed so far away, the memories untouchable. His dark eyes flickered to the closed off tent, beckoning his sister silently to come and talk to him. Perhaps it was too soon, but he just wanted his sister to be okay. So, with the horrors they had faced, Gohan decided to wait. He would wait and see, hoping for the best.  
  
~*~  
  
Days passed as the two youths applied themselves to healing. The days soon grew into a week and continued to move on. With each passing day Gohan grew more and more worried. His tail had healed, only a slight knot at the site of the break was left. The speed at which he was able to heal had always startled him. He had noticed that many of Cassandra's cuts had healed, her long wound doing so nicely. But he had also noticed other things in his sister.  
  
With the passing days she refused to look him in the eye. At meals she merely picked at the food before her. Gohan had tried to get her to talk to him, but each time she merely replied with 'I'm fine.' Yet, Gohan knew she was not. Granted, with them being secluded from humanity, neither had anyone else to talk to, but Cassandra barely spoke. If she were to respond to Gohan, it was generally a one word answer. It was rare that she left the tent, and Gohan had never seen her clean up, though he knew that she had to be because every time he returned from hunting or fishing or the light training he was doing, she would be dressed differently and her hair would be wet. As for her clothes, she would generally dress in layers, shorts under training pants, tshirts under large bulky sweaters or long coats. No matter the heat of the weather, she was constantly dressed for artic weather, despite the fact that it was the middle of the summer.  
  
Drawing his conclusions from her actions, he knew she was not alright. The fact that she flinched from his touch so much was haunting him, knowing that the trust between the two of them had been broken. And then, it happened.  
  
Gohan, as usual, had asked his sister if she was okay. Her response, as always, was a simple 'I'm fine.' By this time, Gohan's patience had worn thin and this was the last shred he had. Instead of the calm conversation he wished to have with her, he exploded.  
  
"Will you quit lying to me? I can damn well tell that you are not fine! If you were fine, you wouldn't be avoiding me. If you were fine, you would be eating right. If you were fine, you wouldn't be flinching from me every time I try to come near you or even look at you. So will you stop it and just tell me!" Panting with rage, the fire reflecting in his obsidian eyes, Gohan stared at his sister who was merely gaping at him.  
  
As she got over her shock, Cassandra glared at her brother. "Don't you dare yell at me like that Gohan! You have no idea what I've been through. You don't know what its like to be torn open like that; to have a man take pleasure from your pain and suffering. Don't stand there and tell me what I am and what I'm not. If you want to act like you can understand, then you might as well go throw yourself into that lake and drown for all I care." With that, she moved to head back to her tent for the solitude that she sought for.  
  
Gohan, however, would not allow this. As he grabbed her arm, a small cry escaped from Cassandra's lips as she moved away from him. Gohan's dark eyes began to take on a wild appearance, exaggerated by the glow of the fire. "See! This is what I mean. I can't come near you without you running away. I'm supposed to be the one you trust, the one that you come to when you need me. I'm your brother Cassandra! I need you to trust me and tell me things. We need to get through this or maybe I'm not the one you need. Do you want to go home? I've been thinking that we should . . . mom and dad could do a lot more for you. There is a lot of shit that we can't understand and you should see a doctor. Please . . . Cass . . ."  
  
Horror was plainly written on her face at the mention of her parents. With a quivering voice, she spoke. "No . . . no Gohan. Mom and Dad can not know what happened, they can never know."  
  
"But . . ."  
  
"I said no! You want me to talk with you but you won't even listen to that simple thing. I will not let them know and I will not be poked and prodded by a doctor who doesn't give a shit what happened."  
  
"Fine." Gohan growled out, frustrated with his sister.  
  
"Now that this is settled, I'm going to my tent and lay down. Don't bother me." Turning on her heel, she moved to leave once more. But once again, Gohan was not going to let her.  
  
"No. You are going to talk to me."  
  
"Why should I?"  
  
"Because I'm your brother."  
  
At his words, Cassandra's face darkened with anger. Desperate to gain her freedom, she lashed out at the boy in front of her. "Brother? No. That is what you are not. You are something my parents decided to take in, some freak that we can't get rid of. You are far more trouble than you are worth Gohan. If you were my brother, you would have saved me from those men. If you were my brother, I wouldn't have been raped. If you were my brother, we never would have been having this discussion. No Gohan. You are not my brother and never will be. You are nothing to me; never was and never will be." At her words, Cassandra watched as Gohan's face fell, hurt plainly written upon him. For once, guilt stabbed her heart.  
  
Inside, Gohan was falling apart. Each of her words had struck him hard, each like a blow of a knife, cutting deep within his soul. He made no move to stop his sister from leaving the camp. Instead, he merely stared at the fire, oblivious to her presence which lingered at the edge of camp. Beneath the dull presence, hurt and confusion raged. To parts of him, what she said had been so true. He was taken in by her parents, his own parents . . . unknown. He should have stopped it all, but he hadn't. It was his fault, all his fault.  
  
"Gohan . . . I-I'm sorry. I-"  
  
Cassandra's words were quickly cut off with his voice. "Shut up. I am nothing to you, so let's keep it that way." With that, Gohan blasted into the night air, only his trail of energy left behind.  
  
Gohan landed miles away from camp, deep into the mountains of an unknown area. Throwing himself to the ground, he allowed her hurtful words to run through his head again and again. Staring up at the night's sky, Gohan attempted to regain control over his thoughts and emotions. He refused to allow himself to cry or wallow in self pity. He was unfit for such things; after all, he couldn't even save his own sister. His dark eyes gazed at the tiny stars that dotted the sky, following them to the full moon. For the first time in his life, he stared at the glowing orb.  
  
It was rather odd that he had never seen it, but something told him never to look at it. Now, gazing at the large solar mass, he became transfixed. A buzz of energy ran through his tail and up his spine as he gazed at the satellite. Soon, energy was zipping through his body, his bones slowly shifting and reshaping themselves. All the while, he found himself unable to tear his eyes from the full moon. Moments later, a large, dark and hairy form stood and a loud, bone-chilling roar echoed over the land.  
  
~*~  
  
A pair of dark eyes, illuminated by the silvery glow of the moon, stared at the monstrous beast upon the hillside. Safe on the top of a near by cliff, he watched as the large ape began tearing at the trees and pounding at the Earth. Only a few times before had he ever seen such a transformation, each time had ended at a relatively destructive end. It was now that he understood the feelings deep within him. He had always felt as if something was missing, and since the merge, he knew just what it had been. He had known the truth.  
  
There before him stood one of three demi-saiyans on the planet Earth. He had found the boy just days before, unable to understand the turmoil that the boy seemed to be in. He had also found himself unable to gain a ki reading from the boy, startling the usually unshakeable figure. Unsure of just what was going on, he had decided to keep an eye on the boy, looking out for one of Earth's most powerful warriors.  
  
With loud crashes, the figure upon the cliff watched as the out of control ape destroyed miles of surrounding landscape. With a slight sigh of annoyance and a few curses, the figure took to the air, finally deciding to put an end to the Saiyan's transformation. Charging up a large blast, he hurled the glistening energy towards the moon above them. Within moments, the natural satellite exploded, pieces of the moon spreading throughout the galaxy. The world plunged into darkness, the thick blanket of night covering the planet.  
  
The large beast's head turned in multiple directions, confused as to what had happened. Its crimson eyes narrowed as it caught a glimpse of the shadowy figure that stood, unmoving, in the dark sky. Before it could advance towards the figure, the beast began to shrink, once again returning to the form of a young boy, who collapsed, naked, to the ground.  
  
Shrouded in the shadows of the dark night, the figure moved towards the boy. Kicking him roughly over onto his stomach, he lifted the boy's golden brown tail. Gently, his hand's brushed the soft fur as he held it upright and taunt. The figures hand became illuminated with a golden glow with sharpening energy as he moved to remove the tail. Just seconds before he could cut off the troublesome appendage, a voice broke through the silence of the night.  
  
"Gohan!" it cried. "Gohan, where are you?" The rustling in the brush soon joined in the sounds as a small figure fought her way through the tree branches, coming upon the destruction, as well as the two figures in the middle of it all. A gasp escaped her pale lips as she recognized the nude form that lay limp upon the ground. After all, who else did she know that had a tail?  
  
"Leave him alone!" she cried out, attempting to cover up the fear that radiated from her form. "My brother didn't do anything to you; j-just leave him a-alone." Cautiously, she watched as the figure, draped in shadows, let go of the slender appendage and moved away from Gohan's nude form.  
  
As the figure vanished from sight, she ran, falling to her knees beside her brother's prone form. Gathering him into her arms, tears rained down her face as sobs broke from her lips. "I'm so sorry Gohan. I'm so sorry." This was all that could be heard between her all consuming sobs as she rocked the unconscious form within her arms. Her trembling fingers slowly pulled off her long outer coat, covering him, protecting him from what she could. Ignoring the rain that had begun to fall heavily upon them, she merely cradled her brother's form, unknowing of just why he was in such a state. Just what had that man done to her brother?  
  
~*~  
  
As the sun rose, its golden rays landed upon a pair of crumpled figures in the center of destruction. Rubbing her eyes, Cassandra slowly sat up from her place, collapsed over the half covered form of her brother. Immediately, she jumped from the ground, her brother falling roughly from her lap onto the unforgiving earth. Shocked, she backed away from him. Slowly, the memory of the events of the day before hit her. A sorrowful look appeared on her eyes as she once again approached him tentatively.  
  
Kneeling beside him, she rolled him onto his back, gently slapping his face, trying to awaken him. Slowly, sleepy onyx eyes opened to meet concerned dark blue ones. Upon seeing those dark and familiar eyes, Cassandra threw herself at him, sobbing into his chest. Startled, Gohan wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer as she poured out her tear of pain, fear, confusion, and weeks of torment.  
  
As she slowly stopped, pulling out of her brother's embrace, her tear filled blue eyes searched his face for any sign of emotion. Gohan studied her back, wondering just what had brought that on. As Cassandra's face reddened and her eyes moved very intently to the ground, Gohan realized that he was only half covered by one of her overcoats.  
  
Blushing, Gohan's eyes searched for his clothes. Only able to find the ripped remains of his gi, Gohan was left confused. "What happened?" he asked, his confusion lacing his words. "I know I came out here dressed . . . I was so angry and . . . hurt." His dark eyes focused on her, the true pain and torment that he was going showing itself to her for the first time. "I was just looking at the stars thinking . . . and I don't know. That's all I remember."  
  
Cassandra's quiet voice rang through the damaged land. "I . . ." Her face crumbled, tears leaking from her eyes. "I'm sorry Gohan. I didn't mean what I said. I was just so mad and . . . and . . ." A hiccup escaped her lips as she worked to gain hold of herself once more. "As for what happened," her eyes glancing around at the destroyed scenery "I don't know. When I found you . . . how about we go back to camp and talk about it."  
  
One dark eyebrow rose at her words. Pushing off the dread that he had felt at her words, Gohan stood, wrapping the jacket around his waist. Taking one last glance, one full of curiosity and befuddlement, around the land, the two teens headed back to the normality of camp, each of them filled with questions, some would be answered, and others left to remain a mystery.  
  
~*~  
  
SNEAK PEEK: None.  
  
Review please. 


	18. Chapter 18: Nightmares and Dreamscapes

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, its characters, nor anything in it; nor do I own any other licensed product/item that may appear throughout this fan fiction piece.  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter 18  
  
Sitting by the light of the fire, Gohan's eyes penetrated the flames, searching. The past few weeks had been full of tears and talks. He had slowly regained his sister's trust, spending countless hours just holding her shaking form as she cried out the pain and sorrow of the events that had rocked their world. She had shed her hard exterior, revealing all of her thoughts and beliefs since the attack.  
  
Her underlying fears, a product of Sen's words, that Gohan would try something. The nightmares that haunted her sleep, consumed with malicious emerald eyes. Her fears of being anything close to naked around him or even alone. The abject terror she had going into the woods alone to search for him. And so much more.  
  
She had been broken, her spirit cracked. He had listened to her words, held her close, and dried her tears, slowly mending her soul and their trust. No longer did she flinch from his touch, but pull him closer. They were no longer what or who they were. That would be impossible. No, they were stronger, closer, and possessed an even tighter bond then they had before.  
  
Yet, from all of her fear, something sparked a new within her. A determination so strong, nothing could push it back. To fight, to train, to never be defenseless again.  
  
Yet, all of this time was spent on Cassandra, helping her find her way out of her broken shell. Gohan was still the one to awaken from nightmares, unsure of anything in his life. He had known what had happened to Cass, as well as the vengeance he had wreaked. His dreams were plagued with the events and the harsh words that had marked his soul like a whip, with wounds that would never fully heal. They would always be there, a reminder that even your loved one can hurt you, damage you so much. They were there, etched deep, along with all of the other things that had happened in his life. And he knew that they would always ache, always bleed, and always be there to haunt him. But all of his pain, his hurt, his torment was pushed back, deep into a dark corner of his mind that was steadily growing everyday. A bit of boiling rage, sorrow, and hurt . . . All locked away in hopes that it would never take control again.  
  
Then, with Cassandra's speech of how she had found him those nights ago, a shadowy figure standing above his nude form with his tail in hand, Gohan was unsure of the truth. He had no memory of what had occurred only slight thoughts of destruction and glimpses of the world through red. Cassandra's mind had immediately jumped to rape and even Gohan couldn't deny the possibility. The situation she had arrived on . . . But Gohan believe it was untrue. He had no aches, no pains, no marks, nothing. Deep down, he remembered feeling safe. As if a great calm had been brought. But he was at a loss to who it had been.  
  
That feeling, that utter belief that hurt would not come again to his body or soul, an untouchable warm sensation of the measure of safety had felt. It was something he had not felt since he was a child, when he used to see the world in such a well seeming light. But that world had been shattered, replaced with years of fear, hatred, and suffering. The things he hid from those he loved, not ever wanting to burden them with his feelings.  
  
Reaching out, allowing the flames to caresses his skin, Gohan knew that he would always search to find that figure, to feel safe again.  
  
~*~  
  
Shimmering ebony orbs watched from the shadows of the trees that surrounded the two teen's campsite. Sharp eyes concentrated on the trouble figure beside the fire, bathed in a glow of reds and yellows. The figure had taken it as a duty to watch over the boy, knowing that the power he possessed would never be understood by the humans.  
  
Even to this war hardened warrior, the boy was unusual. It wasn't his physical attributes or his strength like any other observer would find. Instead, it was in the boy's attitude. Whenever the girl had been around him, a smile had remained on his face, his voice never raising, always appearing happy and confident, reassuring the girl no matter what. But when her back was turned, when she wasn't there, shadows swallowed his obsidian orbs; pain echoed in the boys empty eyes. In fits of anger the child would fling ki blasts at the mountains, reeking destruction and exerting his built up anger.  
  
But at night, when the moon was high, its lunar beams dancing across his sleeping form, he was able to see past the façade of happiness, through the anger and rage, straight to the scared child he was at heart. For so many nights now, he had woken the child from his terror induced nightmares. The demi-Saiyan never cried out, only began to thrash in his sleep, occasionally a whimper escaping his lips. Unable to understand the child's fears, he waited for sleep to settle over the boy. Tonight, he would read the boy's dreams to understand just what it was that caused him to choke back his own cries to the night.  
  
He had observed the two for so long now, he had watched as the young man held the girl when she cried and reassured her, placing up that façade for her. He had viewed them as they fought, the boy not using a tenth of his strength as the girl took out her frustrations in battle. He had critiqued their style, their abilities, and strength, watching them grow. Yet, he had missed out on everything before his time; their pains were a mystery to them.  
  
His dark eyes narrowed as the child lay down on his pallet beside the fire. The dark haired demi-Saiyan curled up on his side, his dark eyes continuing to stare into the dancing flames of the fire. A pale hand extended, pulling a dark blanket over him, partially clutching the soft material by his face. Pale eyelids slowly slid over the child's impossibly dark eyes as he was lulled into sleep.  
  
Creeping into camp, the silently took his place beside the man-child. He quickly extended his senses, taking in the ki of the girl, verifying the fact that she was asleep. He knew that he could not check the ki of the boy; instead, he merely watched his chest rise and fall in perfect rhythm. It was perhaps the first time the man had ever seen the child up close, allowed to truly observe and study him.  
  
The child was so much like his father, his black spiky hair and wide innocent eyes. But his soft face was a reminder of his mother's royal heritage. The golden brown tail, the only true physical link to the boy's ancestry, was worn loosely around his waist now that the previous injury had healed. The fire's light flickered, reflecting off the metal tags that hung from the boy's neck. The woman who had made them was an obvious genius, enabling it to not only hide the boy's energy, but to increase and decrease in size. The woman had seen the growth capabilities the ape form could bring, along with the desire for his ability to wear them as he grew; the material was designed to allow growth. It was much like the Saiyan armor in this respect. But those tags the boy wore religiously . . . the man knew just what they were . . . his name, the only true link to his past and possible future engraved . . . Gohan. A faint trace of a smile appeared on the silent man's face as he gazed at that name.  
  
Clawed fingers reached out, hovering over the boy's forehead. With a last glance at his face, his course voice whispered into the wind. "So . . . the old man was right after all . . . You are alive . . . Gohan . . ." With that, the mysterious watcher plunged into a world of darkness.  
  
~*~  
  
Laughter danced through the wind as two children romped through the meadow. The bright light of the sun beat down on the water of the nearby stream. Underneath a large oak, a blonde haired woman with eyes of midnight blue sat with a black haired man, whose eyes could rival the green of the fresh spring grass that surrounded them. The two adults stared out at the plains, watching two black haired children run about with brightly colored kites that soared through the bright blue sky.  
  
The small girl, dressed in a pale blue sundress, ran through the field, her dark blue eyes sparkling with mischief as she called out to the boy. The small boy's long ebony locks hung about his face, leaving them in shadows. A soft wind blew, brushing the strands of hair from the child's face, revealing dancing obsidian eyes, the dominating feature upon his cherub like face.  
  
The unacknowledged guest merely stayed to the shadows, not doing anything to alert the dreamer of his presence. Instead, he watched as the child followed the girl, his happy cries blending with the girls in perfect harmony. Dark eyes watched as the two adults called the children back to their blanket. A perfect family on a perfect picnic on a perfect day. It was a picture perfect event . . .  
  
Dark shadows rolled into the field as the clouds obstructed the light of the sun. A chilling wind swept through the area as darkening clouds rolled into the sky. The small boy stood abruptly, backing away from his family, his words cutting through the sound of the wind that whipped through the meadow.  
  
"No . . . please . . . no . . . not again . . . please . . ."  
  
That small cry was lost on the boy's quivering lips as he stared in horror as the three people he held dearest to his heart slowly faded. The world went dark, the sound of thunder rolled through the sky as lightening flashed. Wind began to circle around the child who morphed and grew from his five year old self into the preteen he was at the time.  
  
Rain joined with the tears that fell down the boy's face as he stared at the place where his family had formerly been, his shoulders drooping as if he carried the weight of the world upon them. His head dropped down, his mournful whispers barely audible above the volume of the storm that raged within the dreamscape. "I'm all alone . . . again . . ."  
  
Screams pierced through the darkened world, their frantic cries rolled over the meadow like thunder. Haunted obsidian eyes stared out across the field, lost in a sea of memories as the noise of the storm and the screams joined together.  
  
"Please . . . Gohan, help me . . ." A soft female child's voice whispered in the passing wind.  
  
"Don't you want her? Go ahead, take her and ravish her."  
  
A girl's voice joined in with the wind, her jubilant words dancing with the rain. "I flew? I flew!"  
  
"Boy, whacha gonna do?" A menacing growl sounded, echoing through the field.  
  
"Do you trust me Cass?" The boys own voice asked.  
  
"There is no reason, no answer to your questions boy. It is not a matter of why I did what I did, but a question of how." A silky voice called.  
  
"He was an abomination, a worthless freak, a pathetic excuse for a human being and not worth calling a son." A woman said calmly, her voice full of hate.  
  
"Of course I do." A gentle girl replied.  
  
"Whacha gonna do boy?"  
  
"Brother? No. That is what you are not. You are something my parents decided to take in, some freak that we can't get rid of."  
  
"Are you my mommy?" An innocent voice asked. The voice of an angel replied. "No, I'm not. But I wish I was."  
  
A dark voice penetrated, his whispering words desiring vengeance. "He's dead. For the good of the world, he is dead. In mind, body, and soul. And if he's not . . . I will make sure he dies. . ."  
  
"Well, son, are you ready?" A kind masculine voice questioned.  
  
"You are not my brother and never will be. You are nothing to me; never was and never will be." The girl's voice screamed intent on inflicting more pain to the boy's already wounded soul.  
  
"I'll be fine mom."  
  
Those final words, "I'll be fine" echoed through the silent field as the storm dissipated from the dreamscape, leaving the boy curled up in the darkness, his tears forming their own salty puddles beside his quivering form.  
  
"But I'm not . . . I'm not fine at all. I just want to go home. I want to be held, I want my mother, I want my father. I just want to be safe and happy again. I just want this nightmare to be over." Tears poured from his ebony eyes as his whispers penetrated the darkness. "I just want to go home . . . I want to forget everything and be with you mommy . . . please . . . don't leave me . . ."  
  
With those words spoken, the boy whose eyes spoke of wisdom beyond his years broke down into sobs, caught in a self induced world of pain and regret. The figure that had stood there, watching the child cry and release his sorrow upon his dream world slowly made his way to the boys shaking form. With every word that had penetrated the darkness, every foreign voice that had spoken in the wind of the storm, he had seen the image that had come with it.  
  
He had seen it all, now knowing just what the boy had gone through. He had seen his sister raped, the boy's fury when he turned Super Saiyan for the first time, the love and trust he had with his foster family, the haunting dreams of a distorted version of Goku and Chi-Chi, the pain, the sorrow . . . everything that was so deeply etched into the boys soul. He had seen it all. And he understood . . . more than ever, he just understood.  
  
Draped in shadows, he kneeled down beside the boy, setting his hands upon his frail shoulders. The child jolted, jerking from the intruder's touch, backing away from him. His voice, so full of fear masked by a quickly rectified wall of strength, cut through the darkness. "Who are you and w- what do you want?"  
  
Ignoring the child's questions, the figure settled down upon the dark floor beside the boy. Instead, he gazed out into the vast pit of impenetrable darkness. Closing his eyes, he vanquished the black shadows. Suddenly, the two prone forms were floating in their sitting position beside a large waterfall. The melodious sound of birds flitted about the new dreamscape  
  
Caught in the shock and surprise over the change in scenery, Gohan plummeted from his mid air perch, dropping into the water below them. Dragging himself out of the water, he stood there, looking at the new arrival skeptically. "Are you going to even bother answering me or are you just going to sit there and annoy me?"  
  
One eye opened, sending an annoyed glance at the child before closing them once more. Huffing, Gohan easily lifted himself through the air of his dream and took position beside the intruder. Obsidian orbs gazed about, taking in the lush surroundings of trees, water and distant mountains. Quietly, he spoke to he stoic visitor beside him. "Thank you . . . you got rid of the darkness . . ."  
  
Dark eyes hesitantly looked up through silken ebony locks to study the newcomer. In many ways, the figure was much like him, a black haired boy with deep obsidian eyes. But looking deeper, Gohan could see age old wisdom and hidden truths in the ebony eyes of the youth. Unlike Gohan, whose tanned flesh possessed scars to tell stories from; his skin was sheer porcelain, no scars or blemishes to show upon his pale flesh.  
  
As his eyes trailed up the mysterious boy's body, his stare caressing his face, two pairs of obsidian eyes locked. Quietly, Gohan spoke, his eyes never breaking their stare. "Who are you?"  
  
Instead of answering the question, the boy merely tilted his head to the side. "Are you a fighter?" He asked in a deep voice, drastically out of place with the boy's physical image.  
  
"Yup!" Gohan said with a smile. "My dad's my trainer . . . well, until I beat him. Now I'm on my own. I'm teaching my sister too. And all of my dad's family does martial arts. What about you?"  
  
The boy merely stared at him with his penetrating ebony orbs.  
  
Uncomfortable with the silence that had fallen between the two boys, Gohan began to fidget as he floated in midair. His long golden brown tail released its hold around his waist, falling free, allowing the tip to twitch back and forth as an outlet to his bottled emotions. Unable to stand the silence any more, plagued by his natural curiosities, Gohan began to stare at the boy. His stare continued, pushing through the control for mediation the other boy displayed.  
  
Irritated by Gohan's antics, the mysterious child's dark eyes narrowed at the dreamer. "What do you want?"  
  
"Well, since you won't tell me your name or anything about you, can you tell me how you got rid of the voices and the dark?" Haunted eyes looked upon the intruder, pain, curiosity, longing, and a small bit of hope glimmered in Gohan's bottomless eyes.  
  
A smirk played upon the boy's face as he looked up. Gohan watched as the boy morphed into a brown haired, fully grown male and then into a wrinkled old woman before returning to his childish form. Ignoring the drop jaw expression of the tailed boy, he spoke. "What you see is just a projection Gohan. I'm using my telepathic abilities to transmorph your dream world into a better atmosphere."  
  
"So you're not just something in my dream?" He asked questioningly. At the boy's nod, he thought upon the information given. "So, what? You just decide to go hoping into other people dreams?" Dark eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What gives you that right? You shouldn't be here . . . this is my mind . . ." A soft growl escaped the child's lips as energy began to crackle around him. "Get Out."  
  
Taken aback, the child stared at the boy who was beginning to glow with golden light. "Calm down, kid. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help you." Gaining a guarded look from Gohan, he calmly continued. "You have a lot of power, but you don't know how to control it. You have a decent technique, but nothing those baka humans teach you will be enough. You have a destiny . . . a great future. And you'll need to be ready to accept it. I can help you. I can prepare you for it. But only if you will let me. Every night I will come to you, teach you, and train you. Then you must spend your days training in the technique I leave you with. And when its time, I will come for you, and it will be the true test of you and your abilities."  
  
Curiosity gleamed in the child's eyes as he regarded the floating boy. "What are you talking about? My destiny. How would you know what is to come anyways? It's not like your Kami-sama or anything."  
  
Amusement danced within the glittering ebony orbs of the child at the statement. "No, I don't know the future, but I do know the past. The future is always a repeat of the past. We learn from the past, and mold ourselves off what it is that we learn from the past. And if I'm right, there are evils that you could never comprehend to come to this world. Earth will need your strength and abilities. And I am the only one who can help you."  
  
A soft sign escaped the child's lips. Thoughts rampaged through his mind, causing a shadow to fall upon the morphed dream world. He had fought just the usual horrors of the world that he lived in, and failed each time. He may have defeated the common evils of life, but it had always ended in a cost far more than he would have ever believed. He had let down his family so many times, each and every one of those failures haunting him every night. But could he battle on the side of the Good and help someone for once? Could he actually help rather than hurt those that he loved.  
  
'Well, there is only one way to find out. And with this guy, I can learn how to help rather than hurt. I won't let them down anymore. I will succeed and make my family proud.' Looking up, a fire of determination brewing within his dark eyes, he responded. "I will help you."  
  
With that, the two figures regarded each other as student and master. Without any forewarning, the nameless boy attacked Gohan, beginning the first training session of many to come. For the remainder of the night, the two figures blurred about the dream world, training for threats that would one day haunt the world they inhabited.  
  
As streams of consciousness broke up their dream weaved world, Gohan turned to his partner. "Tomorrow night?" he questioned.  
  
"Tomorrow."  
  
As the child's figure began to fade, Gohan called out once more. "Sensei, will you give me your name now?"  
  
A smirk played upon the boy's face as he turned to Gohan, his form barely visible, his voice barely audible. As he faded, morning upon them and wakefulness setting in on Gohan's subconscious, his rich baritone voice called to the child left alone in his own mind with a simple whisper, leaving him with the name of his new sensei.  
  
With that, Gohan awoke, missing the warmth of safety he had felt with the child in his dreams. The blanket of protection that he had weaved. It was something Gohan hadn't realized he had until he had lost it. A smile graced his lips as he stood, stretching out his limbs. His night had left him with a number of new maneuvers, attacks, and combos to try out . . . and some just weren't going to be nice to use on his sister.  
  
Smirking, he slowly charged up an energy beam, releasing it at one of the surrounding trees. The orange and purple energy of the corkscrew attack shredded the tree. Glancing back and forth between his hand and the decimated landscape, he couldn't help but gape in shock. He now knew just what he had gained by taking upon his dream master.  
  
Turning around at the gasp that had echoed through the campsite, his ebony orbs were met with wide sapphire ones. Staring at her brother, she spoke. "Wicked." At his nod, she managed to choke out a question to his new talent. "Who taught you how to do that?"  
  
A dazed look appeared in Gohan's bottomless eyes as he stared at the destruction he had caused with one single blast. "Just a kid I know . . . Just a kid named Piccolo."  
  
~*~  
  
There. I almost left you without the name. I had such a hard time deciding whether or not to include it here. But the clues were just so blatant in this chapter, I had to go ahead and tell you. And for those who have yet to clue in . . . well, let's just say that the time so many people have been asking about is coming up. About five chapters I think. Something like that. You'll see . . .  
  
~*~  
  
SNEAK PEEK:  
  
He hating the feeling as if Piccolo held the final link to the mysteries he had uncovered, as well as the strange feeling that had begun to nag him months ago.  
  
----------  
  
Kneeling beside the ashes of the cottage, his pale hands trailed there way through the debris, caressing the ruble gently. Bowing his head, he allowed a small prayer escape his lips.  
  
----------  
  
"But Piccolo . . . how much pain and suffering can one person experience before their broken?" He asked, his voice fading as he blocked off their connection. Standing, he took off into the air. It was time to go home. 


	19. Chapter 19: Followed Returns

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, it characters, or anything in it; nor do I own any other licensed product/item that may appear throughout this fan fiction piece.  
  
AN: I know this took forever to get out, but this chapter comes with a notice. I was shocked in getting inspiration to write this. My inspiration for this is dying, something I'm hoping to avoid. This, the fact that college finals are coming up next week, I'm moving back home for summer, and the fact that I want to finish up my oldest story has put this story a bit on hold. I feel as if these chapters have been lacking, just as my interest and desire to write this have. So, I have been taking much time off this fic. You can thank watching Gravitation for giving me inspiration to finish this chapter and get it out to you. However, I don't know when I will update again. It will be a while. Gomen, but I want this to be done as well as I can.  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter 19  
  
The two warriors stood, coated in shadowy silence. Their arena was pure impenetrable darkness. Their eyes were closed, two pairs of obsidian orbs closed to the world. With a yell, molten gold flames of energy swallowed up one of the children, his thick ebony hair bleeding to the same gold as his energy. Sharp eyes snapped open, revealing swirling jade orbs that seemed to pierce one's soul with a single look. The two opponents slowly sized one another up, their eyes trailing over the other with calculating precision.  
  
One child slowly grew, morphing into a more adult form, giving himself leverage over the golden child with his longer limbs, larger form, and the possession of a body much more similar to that which he had in the outside world. A bluish white flame of energy enveloped the newly formed adult as he raised his power, preparing to engage in battle with the child. Within seconds, the two charged at each other, flashing out of sight, their speed making them invisible to the human eye. Another night of dream fighting had begun, a battle between sensei and student . . . though sometimes one might wonder, just who played which role.  
  
~*~  
  
Piercing eyes full of well contained anger and contempt glared at the peaceful sky of thick hues of dark blues. The statuesque figure stood imperiously upon the high cliffside, gazing at the stars that shined far above him. His never resting mind churned with thoughts that had plagued him over the past months. The sky seemed so empty to the Saiyan Prince, absent of the one thing that his race had thrived from . . . the moon.  
  
About three months before, Vegeta had been awakened from his slumber by a flash that had pierced his senses. Even in his sleep, he had been shot by a piercing feeling of loss. The Earth had been thrown into darkness, plummeting into the true shadows that had, in the past, only existed on the nights of the New Moon. That single lunar satellite that had blessed his race with power beyond anyone's comprehension and cursed them with a transformation that could plague an Earthling's feeble mind with nightmares for the rest of their pathetic life had been destroyed.  
  
Anger surged through his royal blood as he reflected upon the loss. Begrudgingly, he had to admit that it was ridiculous for him to feel this way, especially with his own absence of the tail that had made the night of the full moon so important, but it was still something he had always believed would be there. Unconsciously, he had taken its constant appearance in the night's sky for granted, something that would always be there, one single constant in his ever changing world. But that crutch had been taken away.  
  
A vicious growl escaped Vegeta's scowling mouth as his glare met with the night sky, as if blaming it for his dependency. Mentally, the off-planet Prince cursed the green skinned alien. The day after its disappearance, the Z-senshi had found itself meeting to discuss the turn of events. The disappearance of the natural satellite had never been expected. No one had known if they had a new enemy, if it was just another outer space being, or if it had been done by one of their planet.  
  
Rolling his eyes, Vegeta couldn't help but scorn his fellow pure blooded Saiyan who had been oblivious to the moon's disappearance. Kakarott had been far too . . . occupied? . . . with other things. In truth, the Saiyan Prince had no idea how the third class Saiyan had missed its disappearance.  
  
Yet, it had been Piccolo who had stepped forward, letting the group of misfit super powered fighters know that it had been his doing. His reason? The two young half breeds still carried their tail, making the full moon a danger. Granted, the two children had been raised being told never to look at the Moon on juugoya [1]. Yet, the idiotic Namek had felt the need to destroy the moon, regardless of the obvious questions the world would have.  
  
Sure enough, the mangy ningen news broadcasters had been questioning its disappearance for a while. The only hypothesis that had been brought forth was a meteor or asteroid had hit the moon, decimating the Earth's natural satellite. The Earthlings had easily accepted this, remembering a time when the moon had disappeared, only to reappear again years ago [2]. It had been a strange occurrence, something Earth was no stranger too.  
  
Thinking of the Namek, a small growl escaped the royal blooded Saiyan's lips. The green skinned alien had been disappearing a lot recently. Sure, he was no social fighter, nor was the Namek. Each of them preferred a lot of space and solitude. But Vegeta had a habit of staying aware of everyone's power level, constantly comparing and constantly surveying the work of the other members of the senshi. He always knew when someone was training, his constant reaction being to scoff at their pathetic attempts to rival the power of a Super Saiyan.  
  
But over the months . . . Piccolo had truly been strange. His power level would disappear, blending it with those of the humans or disappearing all together. He was never at the lookout, nor at his favorite spots in the woods where the Prince had been able to sense him before. Instead, the few times he had felt him had been across the planet, near where he had discovered the destroyed building.  
  
If there was one thing that disturbed the Saiyan Prince, it was not knowing something. He hating the feeling as if Piccolo held the final link to the mysteries he had uncovered, as well as the strange feeling that had begun to nag him months ago. Flashing his energy around him, Vegeta took off into the night sky. He would find out just what the Namek was up to, he would uncover everything, and finally, he would be at rest. Maybe, just maybe then he wouldn't feel the unfamiliar feeling of guilt, worry and . . . caring . . . on his soul anymore.  
  
~*~  
  
Picking at the grass of his dreamscape, Gohan avoided looking at his companion. Most recently, the intruder named Piccolo had taken an adult form, remaining in the form constantly. The boy felt better when his intruder was in a younger form, it soothed him, relaxed him. But with Piccolo, no matter the exterior form the being took on, he had always felt safe.  
  
Sighing, he forced himself to glance at the stoic man mediating peacefully beside him. He was quickly startled from his thoughts as his companion spoke, his voice full of dry sarcasm. "If you want to ask me something, go ahead and ask it. You're interrupting my mediation with your emotions kid."  
  
"Well . . . I . . ." Taking a deep breath, he attempted to gather his wits about him. Piccolo had learned from past experience to allow the child to calm down and figure out how to word his questions and feelings. After snapping at the boy whenever he had hesitated to speak his mind, he had been the one to call forth tears in the child's eyes. Piccolo had gained a vast amount of trust, displayed when the boy cried in front of him, something he hadn't done in the real world since his sister's harsh words. Now, he knew to merely wait. Nothing could pry it out of the boy, instead, he just had to wait and let the boy get it out.  
  
"Piccolo . . . Are you going to leave me too?" Shining ebony orbs peered up at the adult.  
  
Baffled, the intruder merely stared at the boy, unable to comprehend where his student was going with this. Being in the child's mind gave him a first hand glance at the insecurities he carried, as well as his pains and joys. Granted, recently, the pains had been far more than the joy.  
  
"You know I'm going home tomorrow . . . I told you that. This is our last night out here. So I was wondering if you were just going to leave, and our training stop, when I return home." Dark eyes gazed back down at the grass, shaking fingers tearing at the sleep induced landscape.  
  
"Kid . . ." Piccolo began. He had no true talent for the emotions that the boy carried and expressed in front of him. He was a blunt warrior who felt that emotions were more of a distraction then an asset. Though, this belief had been worn away over the time of fighting beside Son Goku, the child and his power was proving his thoughts untrue much more effectively. He had grown fond of the kid, protective even, willing to give his own life for the demi-Saiyan that remained clueless of his own heritage.  
  
"Do you want to give up your training with me? Do you want these sessions to end?" he questioned.  
  
Gohan's head snapped up, his eyes wide. "Of course not Piccolo!"  
  
"Then why should they stop?"  
  
"I didn't think you . . ."  
  
"That was your problem kid. You didn't really think I would leave you half trained did you? Now straighten up. We have a lot more training to do until you're at my level gaki." [3] Piccolo scoffed, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.  
  
"Your level?" Gohan asked with a grin, a predatory gleam appearing in his glittering eyes. "I am far past your level . . . after all, the student always exceeds the teacher . . . oibore . . ." [4]  
  
With those words, the two found themselves immersed in yet another battle, the lights of their attacks fading into the familiar darkness of the dreamscape in which they had found themselves growing so close to one another.  
  
~*~  
  
Ruffling his damp hair with his towel once more, he added the damp cloth to his capsule of laundry. All of his things were packed; however, his sister still remained asleep. A small smile played upon his lips as he left a note on her tent letting her know that he would be back soon. Slipping into the woods, Gohan walked a ways, absorbing the serene area before taking to the air.  
  
Gently landing upon the cold earth, he made his way to the ruins that still remained untouched, even months later. Kneeling beside the ashes of the cottage, his pale hands trailed there way through the debris, caressing the ruble gently. Bowing his head, he allowed a small prayer escape his lips. He knew it was ridiculous, praying for the damned souls that had brought him and his loved ones so much more grief and pain, but he had his reasons.  
  
"In a way, I'm no better than you. I know I can't ask for your forgiveness, after all, I did kill you . . . I did something that I should be using my powers to stop. It was never my right to take your lives . . . I'm no Kami-sama . . ." His voice, so steady and quiet began to shake as he fought back the tides of emotions that threatened to consume him. Ignoring the growling voice within him asking him what sort of an idiot he was apologizing to the men that would have killed him and his sister without second thought, just as they had raped his sister of her innocence.  
  
'I killed them without thought as well. I'm no better than them. I took their lives, just like they would have done to me.' He mentally growled at the patronizing voice in his head.  
  
'What? They didn't deserve it? They were innocent?' The voice cried back. 'You gave them what they deserved.'  
  
'Yeah, quite literally tearing them limb from limb . . . I felt that bloodlust . . . They may have deserved to be punished, but it wasn't my place. I am not judge and jury. I can't be . . . I've committed acts as well . . .'  
  
Wisely, the aggressive voice remained silent.  
  
"As much as I hope you are rotting within the deepest bowels of Hell, I was out of place in killing you by myself." His eyes sharpened as he stood once more. "I hope Hell's hot enough for you though" He muttered, his voice roughening with malice.  
  
Stepping back, he seated himself amongst the destroyed landscape. A brief sigh escaped his lips as he remained seated. His mind wandered, memories of his life running through his mind. Both the good times and the bad times he had seen and experienced. Briefly, a new image flashed across his mind, startling the boy.  
  
~*~  
  
A toddler stood amongst the swirling winds caused by the suction of the void, the sole form that could stand against the raging winds. Anger pulsated through his body, the haunting thought of his father in danger plaguing his every childish thought. With horror filled eyes, he watched as three forms were sucked into the air, headed into the blackness that consumed the area. Yet, his eyes were focused on one man. All the while, thinking just one thing . . .  
  
Daddy . . .  
  
With that, energy swirled around him as he unleashed a scream of pure anger, his every thought upon the threat to his life and family . . . to his father.  
  
"DADDY!!!"  
  
White light flashed through the child's form, rocketing to the monstrosity that was the source of the pain and suffering his young mind and body was experiencing at that moment.  
  
Beyond that, he knew nothing . . . nothing but darkness.  
  
Yet, a small voice called out to him, whispering through his memories. "My daddy's the strongest fighter in the world . . ."  
  
~*~  
  
"Are you alright kid?" A gruff voice asked, piercing through the memories that had consumed the hybrid child.  
  
Jumping up, Gohan glazed around him, automatically settling himself into his trained fighting stance. Adrenaline raged through his blood as he stood there, ready for a fight. As he searched, he found nothing, only the trees and shadows that inhabited the ravaged land. His senses called out, searching for a presence, any presence. Faintly, he could feel something, something so familiar that called out to him. Walking into the remaining forest, he searched, his dark eyes glinting in the light that had penetrated the dense forest.  
  
His tail, wrapped securely around his waste, under his shirt, tightened as a few branches broke, their snap echoing through the silence of the woods. Moving in the direction, he was merely greeted with a shadow. Shadows . . . the only thing he had ever found. The one thing he knew.  
  
Sighing, he dropped to the ground and leaned against the tree. "I'm going crazy." He muttered under his breath. Running his hand through his head, he slowed his breathing, hoping to keep his heart from pounding out of the security of his chest. Knowing that he would have to return to camp soon, he stood, only to catch a flicker of energy over his shoulder. Obsidian eyes widened as he turned, only to be met with darkness.  
  
The energy was gone, disappearing into the shadows. Quietly, the young man walked over to the shadows, only to find a cave. Walking in, he could quickly see that it was empty, only full of darkness. Shaking his head, he moved out of the cave, catching a flash of obsidian. Slightly angry at the games, Gohan called out. "I know you're out here! Now stop being a coward and face me!"  
  
With his words, he was only greeted with silence. Closing his eyes tightly, he concentrated, finding no trace of the energy that had been so close. Frustration grew within him, causing him to push back the anger and rage. With a slight cry, he slammed his fist into one of the surrounding trees, smashing it into sliver of wood that exploded at the impact. Panting, he stalked away from the destruction and out of the forest.  
  
"Kid? Are you okay?" Tripping over his feet, Gohan jerked around, searching for the voice, confusion radiating from him. "Gaki, I'm talking to you through a mind link. Baka."  
  
Sighing, Gohan concentrated. He had forgotten about the mind link he shared with his dream sensei. 'Gomen. I wasn't expecting to hear from you Piccolo.'  
  
"You were channeling your emotions through the link. Is something wrong?"  
  
A slight laugh escaped his lips as he glared at the ashes of the house that held so many of his horrors. Dryly, he replied sarcasm and knowledge of experience years beyond his age coating his words. 'Yeah . . . everything's just great.'  
  
"Don't lie to me. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's to be lied to. I know where you are. What is it?"  
  
'Piccolo . . . I don't know. I was just saying my prayers to them. After everything I've done, after everything that's happened, I still can't fully blame them. I should have been there for my sister. I shouldn't have had her come out here with me. I wish I were in her place. Damn it! I'm just not strong enough.' His emotions raced through him, emotions he had only expressed to his sensei surfacing once more.  
  
"Baka, Baka, Baka. Get off your ass and face it. You couldn't do a damn thing about what happened, and you can't change the past. You have to move on and get over all of this self pity and doubt. You can't get any stronger as long as you hold on so tightly to your own self hatred. You aren't the only one to know pain and suffering. Others on this planet, in this universe have felt the same, if not worse than your own." Piccolo growled out.  
  
Sadly, Gohan called back. 'But Piccolo . . . how much pain and suffering can one person experience before their broken?' He asked, his voice fading as he blocked off their connection. Standing, he took off into the air. It was time to go home.  
  
~*~  
  
Vegeta's mind raced. The child in the woods by the destroyed remains of the cabin he had found months before. That one boy plagued his thoughts, images racing through his mind. Shaking it off, he tried to assure himself that the child was nothing more than the normal ningen brat. But he knew that he couldn't.  
  
He had landed in the forest, walking towards the ravaged land, hoping to piece it together. To discover something new. But all he had found was a single boy, curled up by the ashes, tears that could not fall trapped within obsidian orbs that reflected emotions that the Saiyan Prince knew so well. When he had jumped up, looking around, instinct had told him not to be seen. Instead, he had moved deeper into the woods, constantly evading the boy.  
  
The child had been able to follow him. It was almost as if he could read energy, something, to his shock, the boy contained nothing of. Perhaps that was the most disturbing thing to him, he was unable to feel the slightest bit of ki within the youth with haunted eyes. And the strength he had exhibited when he had decimated the thick tree with a single punch. Nothing was adding up.  
  
Taking to the air, he looked about the area, searching for the nearest dwelling. The image of the dark haired and pain filled eyes would not leave him. He would find out just who the boy was. Perhaps he had found the key to unlock all the mysteries.  
  
~*~  
  
The pair of youths came running into the clearing, both of their eyes alight as they hurried to the familiar house. Their loud laughter carried through the wind as Gohan chased his sister. Both could feel their hearts lighten at the familiar sight, large smiles that were rarely seen playing upon their faces. The large door opened, both Angel and Erik leaving the house, as they came into the clearing.  
  
Midnight blue and emerald green eyes lit up at the sight of their children. There had never been a set date for their return, so the two had been unsure of when they would see the two again. The young parents could see how much taller Gohan had gotten, his body far more muscular than before. He had grown. Cassandra was taller as well, her body slowly beginning to fill out, however, still remaining slim. Yet, there were shadows in the two's eyes. The two were older, not only in body, but in soul. Something had happened.  
  
Embraces were quickly shared, crushing hugs as the family reunited. Chatter carried through the air as rushed words were shared. Angel sighed as she held her son close, tears playing in her eyes watching her daughter very hesitantly approaching her father. Slight hurt played upon Erik's face as he watched an inner conflict rage in Cassandra's dark blue eyes.  
  
A single glance back left Gohan with a very knowledgeable face. Placing a hand on Cassandra's shoulder, he smiled at his father. "'Tousan . . . You let your hair grow out? You look like an old man!" He said as he grinned, his eyes darting towards his sister.  
  
A small laugh escaped Cassandra's lips as she walked up to her father, whose ebony strands had been tied back in a small ponytail. Gohan's reassurance had allowed her to hug the man who had played a role in her birth. The similarities of her father to the man who had stolen her innocence just months ago had immediately sent her mind careening, her instinct to run playing through her mind. But her brother, who had grown so knowledgeable to her and her reactions, had dissuaded it all easily.  
  
Gohan could see the questions that ran through his parent's minds, their eyes questioning the reactions that had occurred. Yet, Gohan merely smiled at them both before suggesting going inside, desiring a hot shower and some good food. The small family headed inside of the house which radiated the joy of being together once more. Pausing at the door frame, Gohan's dark eyes narrowed as he searched the land that surrounded his family's property. Something called out to him, telling him he was being watched. Glaring, he sent out an unspoken threat to those who might cause any harm.  
  
Two pairs of obsidian eyes watched as the youth glared once more, the look softened by the appearance of a young blonde woman who smiled and placed an arm on his shoulder, gesturing for him to enter the house. The two disappeared, the door shutting behind him. From one side, narrowed obsidian eyes raged with questions, the location of the house locked securely in his mind. From the other, a pair of obsidian eyes glinted in the sun, and with a swirl, the figure disappeared from sight.  
  
~*~  
  
Piccolo walked through the familiar wooded area that he had lived within for many years before the discovery of the child. He soon found himself in front of a quaint mountain house, the voices within carrying across the area. The Son home had always radiated so much inner light and happiness, even the death of their first born son had only temporarily shadowed that light. As he turned to move into the woods, heading back to his old waterfall, he heard the door open.  
  
Goku Son walked out into the night environment, his joyous smile faltering as he sat down upon the thick green grass. Catching sight of the Namekian fighter, the innocent grin took its place upon his countenance once more. "Hey Piccolo! What are you doing here? I haven't seen you for a while."  
  
"I was just in the area Son." Piccolo bit out. He had never quite enjoyed conversations with the child-like Saiyan.  
  
Oblivious to the green skinned alien's desire not to talk, he questioned. "I haven't felt you training recently. What? Giving up on defeating me now?"  
  
Piccolo merely rolled his eyes, scoffing at the man who had been his rival for so long. However, Gohan had changed him, far more than years of fighting along side the Saiyan had. "No, I've just had better things to do. Be assured, I will defeat you."  
  
"Sure, Piccolo. But what better things are there then training?"  
  
Frustrated by the ignorance of the Saiyan, plagued with thoughts of exposing the location of Gohan, Piccolo growled, sharply turning on his heal and heading into the woods with a flagrant swirl of his cape, leaving only his mutterings behind. "No wonder you're so dense, baka . . . can't even realize what's right in front of your face."  
  
Goku merely stared at the retreating figure, his mind abuzz with thoughts. The green skinned alien had not been around for quite a while, which wasn't exactly strange. The man still harbored a great amount of dislike towards the Saiyan, thought now it was tinged with respect. The Namek had calmed down considerably since his merge with Kami.  
  
Still, Piccolo had not been around to train or help train Trunks and Goten all summer. Instead, no one had seen him, his ki lowered to a point where it was nearly unreadable, making him impossible to find. Goku merely passed it off as another quirk in the warrior's already strange personality, giving him as much space as he desired.  
  
Glancing once more at the stars that twinkled in the moonless sky, he made his way into his small home, intent on getting some sleep before the sun rose.  
  
Thousands of miles away, a pair of obsidian eyes gazed at the same stars before falling asleep, deep into his dreams, unhaunted by his many shadows. Instead, he dreamed of a life in the arms of a dark haired man and woman, a life full of adventure, of trips to the other planets and battles to save the world. Dreams of a time traveler from a time of pure death and destruction, of a boy who called him 'big brother,' of a short and angry man begrudgingly complimenting him. But most importantly, he dreamt of a place where he was accepted as he was. For that night, that child dreamt of a future unchanged . . . a world where he had never been separated from those who he loved and those who loved him back. And in his peaceful slumber, a child named Gohan dreamt of a time and place where he belonged.  
  
~*~  
  
Now Please review and give me some inspiration. I have no sneak peeks, but let's just say the next chapter is very eventful.  
  
~*~  
  
[1] Juugoya: night of the full moon  
  
[2] I have not seen all of Dragonball, but I do remember that the moon is blown up by Master Roshi when Goku transforms at the World Martial Arts competition at the beginning of the series. But then, we see it again in Dragonball Z. Now, I don't know how it came back or what, but you know the citizens of Earth had to have noticed it.  
  
[3] Gaki: brat. Actually, it's a bit worse than a brat, but there is not actual equivalence in the English language.  
  
[4] Oibore: dotage; feeble-minded old man; senile old fool; dodderer. 


	20. Chapter 20: Step Forward

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, it characters, or anything in it; nor do I own any other licensed product/item that may appear throughout this fan fiction piece.  
  
AN: Sorry it took so long. This isn't really edited much, so if you see something wrong, please let me know. I'm posting this in a rush before I go out of town, and just wanted to get it up. Just let me know if you see something horribly wrong.  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter 20  
  
The air buzzed with energy, the anticipation high. Crowds gathered to watch as a dark haired boy dealt another punch to a struggling blonde. The Regional Martial Arts Competition was known for the extensive crowds that came to watch the rising youths, each holding an immense amount of skill and passion for the fight. However, one youth stood above others. Every opponent was defeated, effortlessly, but never did he gloat his triumphs. With every fallen adversary, the teen would help them to their feet and escort them to the bench so that they could catch their breath after their devastating defeat. The youth's face was a cold, emotionless mask, his voice near dead. Every move was quick and perfectly planned, every punch precise, every kick landing effortlessly.  
  
Sighing, Gohan lifted the fallen blonde from the mats, gently carrying him to the awaiting bench. Dark eyes glanced at the clock on the wall, a gentle frown playing upon his lips. Two hours after the matches had begun; his family still had not arrived. It had not been his choice to compete, but sent as one of the representatives of his family's dojo. Another trophy to add to his wall.  
  
It had been about three years since he and his sister had returned from their summer adventure . . . three years studying under the dream tutelage of Piccolo. At sixteen years old, Gohan was tall, his slender build possessing long sinewy muscles that molded his entire form. His long ebony hair was carefully bound into a braid that hung to his waist, a few random loose ebony strands framing his lean face. His black gi, with the his family's symbol in blood red upon his back, brought out his healthy tan, his obsidian eyes sparkling under the generic lights of the coliseum. Underneath the long shirt of the uniform, he could feel his slender tail twitch in irritation with the lack of a challenge he found.  
  
Sighing, he sat upon the bench, waiting for his next fight. Blowing the long strands of awry hair away from his face, Gohan surveyed the other fights. He had known that the probability of finding any sort of equal opponent had been very low. His strength, technique, and abilities had flourished under Piccolo's excellent tutelage. It was in his dreams that he found his most challenging adversary, but even that had begun to change. Slowly, he was gaining his edge upon his harsh instructor. In the physical world, only his sister could compare. He had taught her everything, even sharing his instructions with their father. He had brought a new style of fighting to his martial arts family. But the two could hardly compare to the strength he possessed.  
  
Worry had set in deep, his mind straying to the many things that could have occurred. In a daze, Gohan competed, his mind never upon his fighting, but on the clock that ticked the time away, on the empty spot in the line up for his sister, and the empty places upon the bleachers of cheering fans for his parents. He had spent so much time infusing into the family that was not his own by blood, he was lost without them. His mind was never on winning in battle, never on the fight, but on making his family proud.  
  
Competition swiftly came to a close, Gohan safely securing the winning title and trophy. Used to ins and outs of the martial arts world, he was unsurprised when he was surrounded by adults and reporters. Most were looking for comments on the gym he was associated with, stemming out to his family's legacy within the martial arts. Businesses looked for a chance to sell their equipment to his dojo as well as gaining their name on the long list of his personal sponsors. Gohan greeted them with his casual demeanor, passing out information sheets as well as contact cards while handling the reporters.  
  
Out of the mass of questions that he was barraged with, a single question seemed to pop out to his mind. "Young man, you've proven yourself quite well here, but tell me, what do you think of Mister Satan and his sensation that is sweeping the world?"  
  
Gohan visibly flinched, his eyes darkening as they narrowed in the reporter's direction. Once the question had appeared, the others seemed to ask the same.  
  
"What do you think of the savior of earth?"  
  
"Our sources tell us that you and your family's dojo do not support Mister Satan and refuse to buy his products or even advertise anything of his line. We were even told that anything that is associated or pictured with our Savior, you refuse. Is this true and why?"  
  
Rolling his eyes, Gohan waved his hand, asking for quiet. Peering above the cameras that were trained upon him, he was met with the site of many fans and people interested a great deal in his answers to the question. He knew that a number of people were upset with their refusal to utilize anything made or used by Mister Satan and his associates. A few people had even left their dojos because of this. Though, this refusal was not only at his father's gym, but at every one owned by the Daemon family line everywhere. The recent arrival of a Mister Satan sponsored gym within their city limits had only brought the animosity of the Daemon family against Mister Satan to a head, turning the quiet refusal into a publicized mess . . . Of course, Mister Satan's visit to his father's gym hadn't really helped things . . . especially when Gohan himself had thrown him out of their doors.  
  
"Thank you for your attention. Each of my opponents here were truly worthy, and my abilities are born of hours of practice at the hands of my own teachers. My win here is all because of them. As for Mister Satan, it is true that our family gym does not incorporate any of his techniques, tactics, or equipment. However, I have shown you what you can learn at our dojos."  
  
A small smirk played upon his lips as he glanced around, locking eyes with a pair of obsidian orbs shrouded in the shadows that had he seen watching him for so long. "On a personal note, my opinion of the great Mister Satan is that he is nothing more than an idiotic fake who is bastardizing the true abilities of the martial artist. His moves and technique are nothing but exaggerated basics with extra flourish that does nothing but prove that he is a bumbling idiot with a hero complex. The example he sets for potential martial artists everywhere makes me ashamed to carry my titles, a shame born of knowing that I will be compared to him when he is not even worthy of the credit given him. As for his regale of destroying Cell, I will only ask you this. If we feared Cell of destroying Earth, can we truly believe that a man like Mister Satan defeated him with such little effort? If you do believe this, I can only wonder if you were ever granted an education. Thank you."  
  
With a small bow, he turned on his heel, exiting the room swiftly while his audience stood stunned at his words. Once outside, he carefully searched the parking lot for his parent's vehicles. Finding none, he pulled out his keys, moving over to his waiting sleek black sports car, his birthday gift. Settling into the plush leather interior, he drew out his cell phone, finding his voice mail with many messages.  
  
As the messages sounded, he allowed his eyes to wonder as he felt the burning sensation of someone looking at him once more. He had felt those dark eyes on him for years now. For so long he had believed it to be nothing more than paranoia of his oddities being discovered, but enough glimpses of the shadowy figures had convinced him he was not insane. Just as he notice a figure leaning against the building, draped in the cascades of shadows, the voice of his father flowed through the phone, speaking in short shaky sentences.  
  
It was as if the world had faded, his senses dulled, only hearing his fathers voice which cut through the thick layers of silence more skillfully than the finest of knives. "Go, I-I'm at the hospital . . . oh Kami-sama . . . Gohan . . . there was an accident . . . your sister . . . I . . . just get here as soon as you can son."  
  
Without hesitation, never thinking of the mysterious figure that was within reach, he revved his car's engine, peeling out of the parking lot without a glance to those exiting with him. On instinct, he weaved through the busy streets, ignoring the wail of police sirens behind him, before pulling into the emergency entrance of the hospital. Shutting the car off, he rushed from the vehicle and into the hospital.  
  
Following his sense to one of the many lobbies within the medical institution, he was soon met with the weary faces of his parents. As the two turned, Gohan zeroed in on the reddened eyes of his mother, trailing down the paths her tears had fallen. A sense of foreboding fell over him as he felt his mother's arms wrap around him, his father coming from behind to embrace him as well. Turning his head, looking past the wired spectator's glass, he watched as his sister, swathed in white bandages, surrounded by blinking machines, struggled for every breath.  
  
Moving away from his parents, he approached the glass, one pale hand extending, reaching out for his sister only to be met by resistance, the painful realization crashing upon him in waves. Tears, the crystalline droplets of water that he had not felt for so long, trailed down his face. Amazed, he allowed them to fall upon his fingers, gazing in wonder at the feel of the tiny droplets. It had been so long . . .  
  
A nearby nurse led him into the room, the gentle hum of machinery and the beep of the heart machine echoing through the silent room. Approaching the silent form of his sister, Gohan allowed his nimble fingers to trail over the thick bandages that covered the left half of her face before moving down her arm, grasping her cold unresponsive hand. Breaking down, a rough sob escaped him, breaking the gentle silence as he cradled her hand to his cheek, begging for the warmth to return, wishing for a spark of life within her. His whispers for her safety grew frantic as he fell to his knees beside her, unable to support his weight any longer.  
  
Looking up, his ebony eyes meeting with the pale lids rather than sparkling sapphire, he trailed his hands through the few strands of black silk that peeked out of the bandages. Overwhelmed by the sea of helplessness, guilt, and grief that he was drowning within, his tears fell upon her prone form.  
  
A heavy hand fell upon the young man's shoulder, muscular arms wrapping around him. Turning, Gohan buried his head into the older man's chest, breathing in the familiar scent of his father. Erik simply held his son, trailing his over the teen's back, soothing him in the only way he knew how. Angel merely watched father and son from her place at the doorway, each member of the family well aware of the steady sound of the machines that supported the young girl's life.  
  
Hours passed the news upon Cassandra's condition vague from the callous mouths of cold, impersonal hospital staff, slowly wearing upon Gohan's every nerve. His mind had been racing, steadily working out the events of that evening. His parents and sister had been coming from Cassandra's weekly meeting with a therapist; a compromise between the family members after the two siblings had cracked under the pressure of questions regarding their summer training in the forest, when a drunk driver had passed through the median, slamming into their SUV. While both Erik and Angel had suffered only a few abrasions and lacerations, Cassandra had been flung out of the door that had opened during the wreck.  
  
Gohan couldn't help but think that it should have been him in the accident, blaming himself for the fact that he had failed to protect his sister . . . again. The guilt and anger slowly built up within him, threatening to over run his senses as the doctor approached him, providing them with the hourly status of Cassandra. However, no news was given, only that she was stable and there was no idea about when she would regain consciousness. Unable to handle the cold impersonal atmosphere of the hospital, Gohan stalked from the building, slamming the doors behind him as he trudged through the woods, walking until he was out upon the neighboring cliffs.  
  
A loud cry of rage and anger broke the silence of the night as a deep golden glow appeared around the boy's body. With only the stars and moon within the velvet embrace of the night as his witness, he allowed his emotions to run free, enveloping his mind, body and soul. Ebony locks bled gold, the short front locks spiking up as obsidian eyes swirled to bright aqua. However, unlike all transformations before, the simple change was not enough for him. Unable to gain a hold of the flow of emotions he emitted, his hold upon the door to his very power loosening, he broke through the barriers he had felt for so long.  
  
Screaming with rage towards the world that had cursed him, his golden aura expanded, the trees surrounding him disintegrating to nothing but dust, the very rocks beneath him trembling as he released the power. His eyes and hair darkened, his entire being taking a bit more of a dangerous feel as white lightening cracked around the gold orb that surrounded him.  
  
Slightly relaxing, Gohan simply closed his eyes, feeling the power flow through his body. There was so much power, it was intoxicating. Simply knowing that he held it stormed his sense, a rush of desire running through his body. A desire to see just what the power could do . . . a want to feel warm thick blood fall from those who had wronged him . . . a need for vengeance.  
  
Shocked by the trail his mind had taken, he quickly shut off those emotions, allowing the power to slowly leave him. Stumbling, Gohan fell to the ground, the light that had surrounded him falling to the black of night. Wrapping his arms around his knees, he slowly rocked himself, back and forth, taking in the quiet melody that flowed with the wind, soothing him as he fell into a trance-like state, neither asleep nor awake, within the confines of the charcoaled earth and trees, a new clearing created by his power, born of vengeance and desire for revenge against something he could not control.  
  
~*~  
  
Sighing, Gohan placed his hand upon the rusted and battered piece of machinery in the rear building on what was formerly the Daemon property. The past month had been a flurry of activity as they prepared to move to Satan City. It was not that any of their family wanted to leave their quiet home to move nearly halfway around the world into the namesake of the world's hero. No, instead they were being forced to move in order to keep their sanity.  
  
After Gohan had left the hospital and found the new level of his power, he had awoken to the rough kick of a short tempered male with malicious obsidian eyes. No name had even been given, only a firm kick to his stomach awakening him from his self imposed state of constant guilt and turmoil. Of course, Gohan had simply glared at the man, his emotions overriding any other thought, causing him to physically attack the stranger.  
  
His entire life, Gohan had held back his strength against other opponents, keeping his abilities and force in check despite everything. It was rare that he had ever allowed his true strength known. However, the rage he felt consuming him had been too great for him to think past the desire for vengeance, causing his well aimed punch to move at the full extent of the strength he possessed in his normal form.  
  
However, the man had simply caught his fist, twisting his arm behind his back, dislocating his shoulder in one simple move. With a growl, he had released Gohan, threatening him with a further beating if he did not remove his 'pathetic carcass from the land and go back where he came from.' Gohan, still in shock from having been injured, stumbled back to the hospital where he was swiftly treated.  
  
Cassandra awoke days later and her slow improvement increased. Even one year later, the only difference was a small limp from where the broken femur had lost time in growth, causing a slight difference in the length of her legs. However, the thought of the stranger had haunted him . . . at least until he met the man in the forests behind the Daemon residence. From that point on, the two would meet and spar, imparting knowledge on one another, incorporating new moves into their technique. But never once did the two speak of their personal lives, nor even of their names.  
  
As strange as this may have sounded, if he had told anyone that is, Gohan could not help but think that it felt normal for it to occur like it did. Just two fighters taking out aggression upon one another in brutal combat, never holding back. Gohan never transformed into his stronger states, merely content to battle it out in his most basic nature.  
  
But now those battles would have to stop. All because of one girl.  
  
It had been a simple game of truth or dare; none of the Daemon's even involved . . . directly. It was not until days later that anyone at their residence was able to understand the sight of an unconscious girl at the base of a tree in their back yard.  
  
Apparently, the young woman had been dared to spy on Gohan and report back to her friends if the popular martial artist wore boxers or briefs. In order to complete her dare, she had climbed up the tree, eventually finding the one that looked straight into Gohan's room where she only had to wait a brief moment before the handsome teen entered the room. Unfortunately, Gohan had just gotten out of the shower, exiting his personal bathroom in the nude.  
  
The usual teenage girl might swoon over seeing the perfectly sculpted muscles covered in smooth tan skin, radiating heat, water droplets making their trail over his body. Of course, the girl could not help but be drawn to watching him as he paraded around his room, searching for what she assumed to be his pajamas. Yet, when he bent over, she had noticed a very obvious difference between Gohan Daemon and other boys his age.  
  
A tail.  
  
Shocked, the girl had fallen out of the tree, unconscious, at its base, only to be discovered the next morning by Gohan himself. It had not taken very long for word to spread throughout the area, rumors of the 'tailed freak' falling from the mouths of almost everyone. Gohan was unable to hide from them, having to fight off the mocking words and sneers with cold indifference, batting the hands that reached in attempt to expose or find the tail that he was rumored to hold.  
  
As much as he could have denied the rumor, he would have been asked for proof. This was something he could not give, thus rendering himself unable to battle the negative slurs that were focused upon him.  
  
The Daemons soon found themselves accepting an offer to go head to head against Mister Satan with a new martial arts dojo in Satan City. The house was quickly put up for sale, as well as their furniture and vehicles. The rest were boxed up and shipped out to the house that Erik and Angel had found on one of their many trips to the area in search of both home as well as gym.  
  
And now, as he stared at the rubble in front of him, the remains of the machinery he was found in as a toddler, he knew he would miss the only place he knew as home. Gold light flared about him as he destroyed the remains of one of the few links he still had to his origin. Returning to normal, he headed towards the waiting taxi, unable to look back, the threat of the memories his childhood home held overwhelming him.  
  
Climbing into the taxi cab, he seated himself beside his sister, one hand carefully squeezing around one of hers as the other hand drifted to the single link he now held: his dog tags. Scenery passed by as the family headed to the airport, moving into their unknown future.  
  
Deep down, Gohan couldn't help but feel that instead of walking away from everything he had ever known, he was headed home.  
  
~*~  
  
AN: And yes, that was Super Saiyan Two he moved into. Sorry if it seemed to jump around, but that is just how it worked out. I didn't even plan on having the whole car accident thing, it wrote it on its own. Same for the discovery . . . REVIEW!!!!! 


	21. Chapter 21: Shady Past

Disclaimer:  I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, it characters, or anything in it; nor do I own any other licensed product/item that may appear throughout this fan fiction piece.

AN:  Many apologies about the wait for this chapter.  Seriously, my computer has broken down twice, the originally completed chapter of this was deleted when my faulty hard drive crashed, and then months of writers block drained away my writing ability.  Add in college and constant exams, and this took way too long for me to write.  So I apologize, and people, I will not abandon this story.  If it takes me a while to update, just email or IM me if you want to know why.  

[Also the fact that over the summer, I was working all day and my parents don't support my writing so I was virtually banned from the computer.  So I couldn't work as much as I wanted to over that summer.]

Many thanks to ssj-chibigoten.  He beta'ed this chapter for me, which meant I didn't have to wait a few days for me to get back to being able to read this and wait to post for that long.  Also, you people should send your thanks to him because he was one of the few people who have slightly gotten me back into DBZ.  Yeah, lost interest.  But my stories will be completed.  'Yami no Matsuei' inspired me for this chapter, so blame that yummy angst on it.  (Great anime, go watch it!)  Anyways, review and help motivate me people!  Enjoy.

~*~

Chapter 21

Scowling, Vegeta stared at the gray haired woman that stood before him, wondering just where his young opponent had disappeared too.  The pair had usually met at least once a week at the large clearing in the woods where he had first seen the boy.  Now, after weeks of indecision, weeks of not seeing the young man, he had finally given in, intent on finding the fighter and force him into battle.  Only, instead of finding the boy, he had found a pair of old earthlings, and the new knowledge that the boy and his family had moved to an undisclosed location.  There seemed to be a scandal behind it, but he had found the woman to be quite tight lipped.

Pivoting on his heel, Vegeta marched down the driveway, headed in town to discover just what had occurred.  As much as he would hate to ever admit to it, he had come to enjoy the hours of base sparing, furthering his technique and skill, with someone who had shown more talent than he had seen since his days working for Frieza.  He could easily see how skilled the boy was with technique, each move being lightning fast but with amazing precision, backed by power that he could not begin to fathom.  For a child who should have been dead by the ki he emitted, the boy was a prodigy.  Everything about him baffled the Saiyan Prince.

The dark knowing eyes that showed more pain and knowledge than anyone should ever know, rivaling some of his own inner shadows.  Yet, the young fighter's darkness was not consuming him . . . haunting him yes, but the boy had enough strength to push it away, enough purpose to move on through life.  The boy screamed darkness, everything in him whispered danger . . . and something so familiar within the child's immortal obsidian eyes cried out to him.

Standing in front of the tall imposing brick building, he slowly approached a group of laughing teenagers, his eyes darkening, his face falling into a mask of controlled anger.  Shoving a tall blonde haired male against the school building sharply, Vegeta launched into his line of questioning.

Yet, while his tone and appearance may have made him an intimidating presence, the youth could only stare at him oddly as his heavily accented Japanese flowed from his imperious mouth.  

The teen cocked his head to the side, ignoring the threat that the man could pose, and laughed.  "Dude, what is your problem?  If you're going to try and say something to me, try learning English first."  With that, he pushed at his assailant's chest, only to watch as the shorter man growl, his voice holding threat even in a language he could not speak.  

Vegeta was frustrated.  The few times he and the child had spoken, it had been the Japanese he had been taught before even coming to Earth.  He had noticed that the boy would frequently speak another language to others or mutter to himself during their fights, but he had never truly taken it into account.  Now the mere human before him was mocking him, his inability to understand just what he was saying adding to his anger and frustration.

Before Vegeta could unleash his anger on the young man pinned before him, a hesitant hand gently settled upon his shoulder.  Whirling around, Vegeta easily fell into defensive position.  Only, when looking at the distraction, he found his 'attacker' to be a young thin girl with auburn hair pulled back into a ponytail, her green eyes sparkling behind a pair of thick glasses.  The books she held before her were clutched tightly to her chest as she looked at him in interest.  A small smile played upon her lips as she looked towards him curiously.

"Can I help you sir?" She asked in slightly accented Japanese.

Vegeta heard as the male he had pinned to the wall moved back to his group of friends, muttering unintelligible English.  Turning back to the girl, he focused upon his original purpose.  "I'm looking for someone."  At her nod, he continued.  "Male, black hair, black eyes, about this high, martial artist, speaks Japanese . . ."

Her jade eyes narrowed in thought at the loose description of one boy of so many; however, she could easily discern one boy who stood at the forefront of her mind.  "Gohan?" She asked, her head tilting to the side in question.

Vegeta forced his reaction not to show, not allowing his eyebrows to rise or his eyes to widen, but merely nodded knowingly.  He had always had a hunch, a simple inkling to the truth.  This would not prove it, but it certainly put him on the correct track.  Breaking from his thoughts, he carefully listened to the girl as she related the story that had circulated the school.  The boy was apparently one of the most popular and well loved students, by fellow students, teacher, and faculty alike, but the rumor of the tail had forced him to be an outcast without his ability to disprove the words.  

"His sister told me they were moving, though.  They're opening a new branch to the Daemon Dojo's in Satan City.  You know, you look a bit like Gohan.  Are you two related?"

Vegeta scoffed at the question.  If the child in question was truly the spawn of Kakorott, he refused to connect himself to the idiot.  However, the boy was another story.  "Something like that."  A firm nod in her direction, he sharply turned, stalking off of the property.

It was time to go hunting . . . Saiyan style.

~*~

Pulling his knees tightly to his chest, his arms wrapped around his legs, Gohan rested his head upon his knees, his darkened eyes gazing out into the stormy night.  Lightening flashed, the illuminating display lighting up the night's sky.  The sound of thunder could be heard as it rolled in, the storm that had been brewing over Satan City for the past three days was swiftly breaking as large droplets of rain covered the land.   

Sighing, dull obsidian orbs turned back, meeting the cold red stare of his alarm clock, the numbers burning into his head.  The three mocking him as the minutes refused to move, the night taunting him with its unwillingness to allow time to pass, trapping him within the depth of the early morning.  Countless sighs had escaped his lips, his limbs aching from the time spent in their closely curled position, his eyelids falling heavier by the second.  Yet, sleep evaded him, his mind refusing to shut down so that he could find relief within his dreams.

It had been this way for a number of days.  The long nights passing by like days, time spent merely watching the numbers flick by upon his clock.  The storm continued to sound itself, the thunder rolling through his head as he allowed himself to be lulled by the soft sound of the rain.  

They had been living in Satan City for little more than a month and Gohan had still not grown used to the creaks and sounds of their new home.  Instead of being surrounded by lush woods and a gentle lake, they were encircled by the sounds of the city.  No more was he awoken by the soft chirps of birds, but by the harsh honks of car horns, the sound of the shattering bottles in an alley, screams of sirens.  The gentle breezes of the countryside had been replaced with the stench of garbage, smog, and pollution.

A slight tremor ran through Gohan as a bolt of lightening trailed through the sky, reflecting silver in his dark velvet eyes.  Their month in Satan City had been spent preparing their home, setting up the dojo, and placing the Daemon family in a foreign city.  Hours had been spent teaching his parents and sister the Japanese language, a language he had known since he was adopted.  And finally, after putting it off for so long, he would be starting school . . . in five hours.

He could remember when he was five, the soft words of hesitation in sending him to a public institution.  It had all been centered on his abnormalities.  The fear that he would be discovered . . . the fear that they would be discovered.  He could remember his own hesitation, his own fear of it all.  Yet, it had been fine.  Never once had he suffered the teasing, only granted acceptance by his peers.  He had spent months hiding in the corner of the room, avoiding his fellow classmates in order to insure that no problems would occur, no shame to his newly found family.  Those same children he had feared had pulled him out of those shadows that had once threatened to consume him, dousing those self doubts with happiness that radiated from their souls.

Those childish days had been cast away, just as those fears and doubts had long since left him.  But now . . . it was different.

It was because of him his family had been forced to move.  Each and every uncomfortable moment in his new home, in this foreign city, was simply a payment in retribution for his actions.  It was his fault, he was the one who had been ostracized by his abnormalities, and thus bringing the family who had only desired to give him love, with him.  He was the reason for everyone's discomfort, everyone's false smiles.  They had put upon cheerful facades, full of smiles that never reached their dulled eyes.  They had been stripped of a life they had always known, cast into a foreign world, all for him.

While this thought warmed his heart, he could still hear his classmates haunting taunts within his mind, those words that he had feared his entire life, coming to life before his very halls.  The crowds that had once greeted him, embracing him with ease, parted before him.  Whispered voices that once coursed through his ears with cheerful gossip became the same hard, cold tones that mocked him.  Around him, looks that were full of spirit, of jealousy, of worship, of warmth . . . had turned critical, examining, piercing his very soul.

_"Demon."_

A shudder passed through his body as he closed his eyes tightly, trying to shut out the world around him.

_"What a freak.  Thinking he could be like us, accepted by us.  Did he honestly think he was human?"_

Wasn't that what he had always wanted?  Deep down, he knew he was different from everyone else.  He knew that he could not just be accepted, not if they knew of his many differences.

_"What is he?"_

A tail.

_"What does he want from us?"_

Superior strength that could destroy mountainsides.

_"Is he dangerous?"_

Ability to fly.

_"Could he really kill us all?"_

A past full of doubt and blood that coated his hands, a childhood no person could understand, a future that was cloudy . . . 

_"What is he?"_

That was all he wanted to know.  What was he?  Where did he belong?  He obviously did not belong with the rest, he was different.  His differences accounting for so much, separating him from even his family, his friends, and everyone else he knew. 

Only two people knew the truth of his strengths.  One a mere apparition within his mind, the other a man draped within the shadows.  He had once asked that man who he was.

_"Ano . . . who are you?"  Gohan asked, his eyes wide and curious at the brutal man before him._

_That constant smirk, one that had never left his face contorted as once ice hard obsidian eyes swirled.  In a voice that could only account for ageless exhaustion, he replied, burning his words into Gohan's mind, the tone displaying that the hardened man did feel . . feel far more than Gohan could ever have believed._

_"A prince with no title to truly claim.  A man without a home.  A father in title alone.  A warrior with no battles to fight.  A puppet who has lost his strings."_

_Gohan merely stood there, that voice haunting his mind.  "A life, never truly understood."_

_His head jerked up, his eyes slightly wide at the boy's words.  "A life never truly understood."  He murmured in agreement, his smirk twisting into a slight smile._

_Slowly, Gohan walked to the only man who could begin to comprehend his life, if given the chance.  Clasping his hand to the man's forearm, smirking as the prince instinctively flinched at the touch; Gohan spoke, his whispered words carrying far out with the wind._

_"A man with more to live for than he realizes, and more influence than he could possibly fathom.  A soul hiding behind a hardened mask, hiding the pleasure he has found in a simpler life."_

The door closed silently behind him as Gohan exited the house, a small smile upon his face as he remembered his sparring partner's reaction to those words.  Of course, after that, he had quickly left, returning to a life Gohan knew very little about.  But those eyes had told him, recognized him as more than just a fellow martial artist that day, they had accepted him.

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he moved down the silent streets of Satan City, the headlights of a passing car reflecting in the rain that beat down upon him.  Aimlessly he moved through the streets, his eyes trained on the ground below him, lost in thoughts and memories that threatened to consume him.  The fear and apprehension had engulfed him, the threatening shadow of Orange Star High School stood foreboding in the distance.  Realizing just where his feet were carrying him, he moved off course, turning towards the newly founded dojo.  

Bathed in the streetlights, water cascading from the roof, the dojo was a definite reminder of ancient Japanese history.  Its design had been taken from that of older homes and temples, creating a unique building amidst capsule houses and towering skyscrapers.  Its ancient look provided an almost serene feel, creating the distinct illusion of coming home for the boy upon the street.  The wind chimes on the porch rang out in the wind that passed by them, their soft sound echoing pleasantly within his ears as he moved toward the entrance.

Unlocking the door and entering his security password, he stepped inside, removing his shoes before fully entering.  The empty building was silent, no creaks or shifting on its new frame to haunt him.  Instead, it was only the soft sounds of the rain the wind, the echoing thunder.  Around him, the lightening flashed, piercing the light shadows of the room.  Another flash of lightening reflected off of the glass casing in the center of the room, the white light briefly illuminating the glittering trophies that lay within its confines.

Softly, Gohan padded over to the large case.  Flicking on the light within the cabinet, he waited for his eyes to adjust.  Peering through a single half lidded eye, he opened his obsidian eyes as one hand pushed the thick strands of silken ebony from his face, as water dripped onto the hardwood floors beneath him.  Trophies, plaques, ribbons, and other various awards greeted his sight, his name printed on the majority.  Each was a statement to attest to the prowess of martial arts within the Daemon family line.

Despite the fact that his blood was not of their line, every member of the Daemon family insisted that he was just that . . . family.  The fact that he was adopted, neglecting of his foreign abilities, they had embraced his as just that.  Each one of those awards had been received with hugs and kisses, praise from the family that had taken him in, loved his as one of their own.  Every award won was a thank you to them for just that.  Each trophy he had added to their collection had become a symbol of his strive to ensure their pride for him and his abilities.  Every ribbon had been a testimony to the love he felt for them.  And each plaque, inscribed with the Daemon name, a testament to himself of who he was.

His hand, splayed out against the cold glass surface, ran with a foreign, unknown, alien blood.  That blood was the same that had been embraced by his family, loved by his family, prided by his family.  A content smile appeared upon his face, tugging at the corner of his lips, warming his eyes as he submerged himself in those memories.  Yet, that hand haunted him.  Accepted as he was by those he loved, questions that could not be answered plagued him.

Was he human?  

If he was not human . . . what was he?

In comics, cartoons, manga, and anime, those with supernatural abilities saved the world.  But all he had ever done was hurt those he loved.  The hand that had been held so tightly by his foster family was the same that was stained with blood, the same that had been unable to prevent disaster, only created it.  At one point, he could remember promising that he would protect them, a promise he had strived to continue.

Glancing around the dojo, he could feel the warm spirits of the children that had been in the building hours before, and would come in hours after he left.  He too had once been there, the beginning of his training at the Daemon family dojo.

_"Great job Gohan!  Just a little higher."_

_The small boy aimed his kick higher, meeting with the solid flesh of his father's hand.  His body, small and compact, twisted as the kick hit, the imbalance roughly sending him to the ground below.  Sitting there, he fought back tears, afraid to be met with his father's disappointment.  All he wanted was to make his new father, the only father he had known, proud.  But all he could do is fail._

_Two large, warm hands lifted him up, cradling the small boy's body to his chest.  A soft finger wiped away the crystalline drops that hovered at the edges of large velvet eyes.  Hesitantly, Gohan looked up, only to be met by warm emeralds and a large smile._

_"Are you tired, son?  Did you want to go home?"_

_"Iie!"  Gohan said, his vocabulary broken with his native Japanese as he shook his head adamantly.  "I want to do it again.  I want to make you proud!"_

_The large smile merely widened, the adult male's face leaning closer to the child's determined one.  Lightly tapping the boy's nose, Erik spoke.  "You already have, just by being you.  And you always will."_

Those fond memories before he had been exposed to the death and destruction of his power warmed him, reminding him of the family he had.  With those memories, he had never wanted to know anything beyond that, not his true origin, or the constant question of where he belonged.  He had been content with what he had been given.

Shaking his head, he turned the lights off.  A glance at his watch showed that he had been gone for nearly two hours and outside, the storm had been replaced with the beginning lights of dawn.  If his parents or sister had awoken and discovered him missing . . . Gohan did not even want to contemplate the results of that.  He knew they worried for him, just as he knew they wanted to give him space to think things through.  

Guilt washed over him with that knowledge.  They loved him for him, despite everything.  No matter his past, present, and future actions, that love was something they had guaranteed, and reassured time over time.  Yet all he could ponder on were the questions of his origin, of the truth beneath the forgotten memories of those brief years he had been granted in some unknown place, with unknown people.

Had they loved him?  Would they love him knowing all he had done, all he was?  Would they embrace him as the parents he had now always had?  Did he have any siblings?  Grandparents that had annoying habits?  Pesky cousins always wondering over his love life?  Aunts ready to match make with a family friend?  

There were so many unanswered questions.  Yet, there was no way to know.  Moving here had been a step closer, knowing that his native language was Japanese, but beyond that, what would he find?  What if everything he wanted to believe in his origin was a lie?  That his biological parents had not wanted him at all.

Turning the key in the lock, he began his way back home, his eyes downcast at those thoughts.  His past was so foggy.  He had never mentioned the few glimpses he had of his memory to anyone.  While his memory had never returned, he would occasionally remember a simple feeling, a caress, warmth that he could never distinguish.  Yet, it always felt like home.

Approaching his home, a single light burned in a downstairs window.  Someone, if not everyone, had awoken.  They were probably waiting, huddled in the living room, worried over his disappearance.  He could practically see his sister sitting, gazing into the distance, wondering, hiding her own worry.  His mother would be frantically pacing, spouting off his possible demise in some tragic and horrible accident while his father attempted to sooth her, covering his worry with a gentle smile and a soft word.  But when he walked in, he knew it would change.  His mother would hold back her desire to check him over for any form of injury; his father would simply welcome him back, his eyes questioning where he had been.  Cassandra would smile before fading into the shadows, making her way back upstairs where she would wait for him.

They would not question, nor would they antagonize him for answers to their questions.  It was simple acceptance, belief in him in its most simple form.  With a soft smile, he moved toward the door, intent on seeing the only family he had ever known, to sooth their worries, to embrace them, apologize for all the trouble he had caused, to chase away the shadows of sadness and concern that lurked within their eyes each time they gazed upon him.

Yet, as his hand fell upon the doorknob, a wave of apprehension hit him.  Backing away, he felt himself encounter a wall of warm flesh and muscle.  A heavy hand fell upon his shoulder as he froze.  The morning light washed over Satan City, casting away the shadows of the night's storm, bringing in the fresh day.  But Gohan could feel, the fresh start of the day would not be quite so bright for him as he was sharply turned by the strong hand that held to him tightly, a cold voice washing over him.  That cold figure, washed by the warm morning sun, proved his apprehension true as calculating eyes ran over his rain soaked body.

"Boy."  
  


~*~

Worth the wait?  Doubt it.  Anyways, I really am going to work to have the next chapter up in a decent amount of time.  Well, let me know what you people think!


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